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ITALIAN MYSTERY.

AND THE FOG OF WAR. INFLUENCES IN BACKGROUND. NATIVE EMPIRE'S EAST DAYS. (By LAURENCE STALLINGS.) (Special.—By Air Mail.) DIREDAWA, November 21. The Emperor rests hero to-day after his flight to Jijiga. His Majesty, while at Jijiga, prevailed on the Council of War to stand fast and p.wait the Italian advance. At this council there were present General Nasibou, General Ferouk, General Wehib Pasha and two senior Belgian oflicers.

The policy of the Emperor in not initiating an Ethiopian attack on the Italians reduces the war to the level of petty conquest on the part of the Italians. The real attrition is being carried on behind the scenes by the Gieat Powers, who are actuated by their interests and jealousies. Unquestionably the Emperor is inspired by greater Powers than his own in adopting the measures which have been decided upon, because the tendency of the Ethiopians on the southern front has been in favour of giving battle.

While the world abandons the interests of Ethiopia, for the greater theatres of potential warfare, Abyssinians still stream along the roads to the front. A quarter of a million rifles with the necessary ammunition have been imported into this country during the last month. Warriors from the far Sudanese border are dotting the trails leading to Jijiga tbis morning, and are maintaining theinslcves with Landfills of millet from which they extract a meagre nourishment. Their women slaves trail wearily behind them towards the promised land where rifles await them: Atmosphere of Frustration. Jijiga is teeming with humanity. An atmosphere of frustration and impatience prevails there. But for the innate loyalty of the average Abyssinian towards the Emperor one might almost say that one of the predominant feelings at Jijiga is anger. The Emperor's will prevails, but it prevails with difficulty because the Italians, who are masters of tactics, are forcing the Abyssinians into the open, while they themselves remain under cover. Complete mystery prevails as to the real intentions of the Italians, who keep themselves shrouded within the fog of war.

Yesterday it was possible at JTarrar to see the smoke on the horizon east of Jijiga where Italian 'planes continue their raids and where tliev use incendiary bombs, with which they hope to break the hearts and the morale of the peasant population.

Dagga Bur is swamped with wounded who are slowly filtering back to Jijiga. The Ethiopians stand by hopeful that Ras Desta will be able to spread terror by piercing the Italian front on the Somaliland border. However, there is no indication that these folk will able •to do anything more at any point than to offer a stern resistance to the plans of the Italians, who craftily pursue a policy partly of war and partly of bribery, which they can afford to do owing to the superiority of their modern armaments. Helpless Before Air Raids. In tlio north Ras Kassa is taking it daily on the chin from the terrific air raids delivered by the Italians, while the country in general remains totally ignorant of the real nature of events. The Abyssinians are absolutely helpless when their infantry has to stand up to enemy air raids. To all intents and purposes no retaliation of any kind is possible. The whole of this unhappy war is in the grip of greater forces than are to be found in Africa. - The Em'peror's flight to Jijiga is the lirst historic submission of Abyssinia to the governance of Europe, and thus ■ regardless of the immediate outcome of these operations, the last independent State of this conti- | nent is living its last days. —(N.A.N.A.)

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19351218.2.139

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 299, 18 December 1935, Page 17

Word Count
601

ITALIAN MYSTERY. Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 299, 18 December 1935, Page 17

ITALIAN MYSTERY. Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 299, 18 December 1935, Page 17