ETHIOPIA CAPITAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 265, 8 November 1935, Page 5

ETHIOPIA CAPITAL.

A CONSULAR CARAVAN. AIR RAID SHELTERS. j A JOURNALIST'S BURIAL. I (By LEONARD HAMMOND.) ADDIS ABABA, October. The long-awaited consular caravan from Debra Markos reached the Italian Legation here at midnight. Tile partyhad been 14 days travelling from Debra Markos. It consisted of four Italians, Signora Dagnino, the wife of the viceconsul, a Greek caravan leader, So Ethiopian subjects from Gojjam and 40 laden mules. No trouble was experienced from natives en route, but the going was terribly heavy owing to the flooded plains where the Blue Nile had overrun its banks. At some places the river was 200 metres wide and the party had to swim across and make the mules swim across, too. The first news of the approach of the caravan was received from runners from Has Kassa, who reported that tliey had seen seven large tents on a mountain side. This, they said, would obviously not be an Ethiopian party, since well-to-do Ethiopians travelled with only one huge tent, while servants are accommodated in tiny shelters. The caravan was greeted with the blowing of trumpets as it approached the native quarter. Imperial messengers are going around the city ordering workmen to go out into the countryside and dig pits and trenches against possible air raids. The local inhabitants propose to use these shelters to house not only themselves but their goods and even their domestic fowls. A motley brigade of pick and shovel men is marching out of the city intermingled with ferocious looking pro-

vincial soldiers from Gore who are moving northwards in support of Baa Scyyum. The fall of Adowa, which has now become generally known, has had little effect on the listless townspeople. Only natives of the Tigrc province living in Addis Ababa are displaying anger agaiDst the Emperor because of the loss of the historic town. His Majesty himself does not yet appear to be moving to the front. Last night an unusual stir was noticeable in the Imperial Barracks where the Belgian trained guard is housed. Long into the night the air wad rent with the singing of traditional war songs, so much so in fact that people iu the neighbourhood were unable to sleep. The municipality has issued a manifesto enjoining upon the inhabitants to i be courteous to foreigners who should bo i distinguished from Italians as men of | culture and peace and as the friends of Ethiopia. YVhite men hive nothing to fear in Addis Ababa and it was in an I atmosphere of peace and good will that ! to-day we buried one of our brother cor. | respondents, whose death has already ' been announced. This was Mr. W. C. I Barber, the special correspondent of the ! "Chicago Tribune" and of the "Daily Herald," who died yesterday. We laid him to rest in the quiet secluded Euro- , pean cemetery on the western road, I where a grove of eucalyptus trees shaded his grave from the settin;* sun.-— (N.A.N. A.)