ROYAL FAMILY EXILED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 104, 4 May 1936, Page 7

ROYAL FAMILY EXILED.

REFUGE /IV FRENCH PORT. CAPITAL TURNED OYER TO LOOTERS. PALACE THROWN OPEN TO PEOPLE. PERILOUS PLIGHT OF EUROPEANS. United Press Association. —Copyright.—Rec. 11 a.m. LONDON, May 3. According to Paris advices, it is reported that Haile Silassie, with his family and suite, reached Jibouti, French Somaliland, and immediately boarded the destroyer Diana. The Ethiopian Legation in London has not received news from Addis Ababa for 36 hours. Meantime, Sir Sidney Barton, British Minister, cabled the Foreign Office that looting continued throughout the night, but firing in the streets had slightly lessened. There was little sign of anti-foreign feeling. The British Admiralty announces that the destroyer Diana arrived at Jibouti "as a means of communication if necessary." British newspaper correspondents at Addis Ababa wirelessed that after a day of indecision the Emperor, strongly pressed by the Empress, decided late on Friday night to leave the country. Before leaving he ordered that the Imperial Palace be thrown open so that the people could help themselves. Streams of men and women ran to the Palace and returned laden with clothing, arms, beds and carpets. As ammunition dumps were also thrown open, thousands of men took cases and amused themselves trying new ammunition, and the firing into the air sounded as if a terrific battle were proceeding. When the people realised that the Emperor and his Ministers had gone, looting began. Laughing men and women were seen wearing top hats and European clothing over their ordinary clothes. Later, after much liquor was consumed, fierce wrangling over loot began. Swords were drawn and shots fired. Infuriated men besieged Mohamed Ali's store, which was defended by the Indian staff. After a stubborn defence a party from the British Legation rescued them. Towards the end of the afternoon many corpses were lying in the streets. Many British subjects had narrow escapes, frequently dashing out in large lorries to bring isolated Europeans into the safety of the British Legation. The vanguard of the Italians is expected to reach Addis Ababa to-day, according to a message from Rome. The advance was expedited owing to reports of looting. Troops and lorries pressed forward last night, picking their way along terrible roads with the aid of searchlights. Some 150 aeroplanes will land on the airport simultaneously with the arrival of the troops at the gates of the city. The French Minister at Addis Ababa telegraphed M. Flandin, Foreipn Secretary, asking for help. He says the Legation is menaced. Its inhabitants number 1200, including Italian prisoners of war who were sent to the Legation for safety when the Emperor left. This enraged the Abyssinians, who fired thousands of shots into the compound walls, killing two Armenian refugees.