THE BATTLE OF ADOWA

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21582, 19 September 1935, Page 11

THE BATTLE OF ADOWA

CABLES AND COMMENT OF 1896 ITALY'S EARLIER VENTURE IN ABYS&INIA Nearly 40 years ago, in 1896, there was usually only half a page of cable news published in "The Press," so it is not surprising to find few details of the battle of Adowa, which is said to be one of the causes of Italy's present enmity to Abyssinia. For a week after the battle—which took place on February 29 and March I—the few inches of news, cabled mostly from Rome, about the fight, was given precedence, but soon after this there was the Brunner mine disaster, and this relegated all oversea affairs to an inconspicuous position for several weeks. In most of the messages the Shoas are mentioned as Italy's opponent? more often than the Abyssinians. Actually Shoa was the southern of the four former principal provinces of the Abyssinian empire. From the tenth to thirteenth centuries it was the residence of the Abyssinian sovereigns, and it remained independent of northern Abyssinia till 1855, when Emperor Theodore reduced it to submission. In 1889 Menelek 11., King of Shoa, made himself master of all Abyssinia. The people were partly Abyssinians and partly Gallas.

News of the Battle The first news of the battle of Adowa was in "The Press" on March 5 under four headings—a very unusual thing at that time. The message was from Rome, and dated March 3. It read: "News has been received that the Shoas mustered in great force and repulsed an attack by General Baratieri, compelling lus three columns to retire. "The Italians had 3000 killed and three generals wounded. They also lost half of their artillery. Intense excitement was created in Rome, and reinforcements are to be dispatched. "March 4. "General Baratieri, learning that General Baldissera had been appointed to the supreme command of the Italian forces in Abyssinia, attacked the Shoas on Sunday, hoping to secure a victory and thus vindicate his reputation. General Albertone's brigade was soon routed, and General Amionde's failure to cover his retreat, ultimately the entire army retreated on Belisa, four miles from Adowa. The Italians lost 60 cannon and all their munitions of war. Generals Albertone, D'Abormida, and Armionde are missing and are believed to have been killed. Qenerals Baratieri and Ellena are wounded.

"The Cabinet has decided to summon 80,000 of the reserves, also to collect Transports at Naples by Saturday, and they will be dispatched almost immediately. "Italy will send 24 battalions of infantry and six of artillery to Abyssinia.

"The Germans and French have •xpressed sympathy with Italy in her lisaster.

'LONDON, March 4.

"The Rome correspondent of the Daily News' telegraphs that the Itaii ;an Cabinet resigned, bit ine King declined to accept their resignation." Later news from Abyssinia estimated Italy's loss at 4000. There was rioting in Milan. General Baratieri was recalled to be court-martialled. . Many Italian cities demanded a cessation of war. In Pavia a mob demolished the railway plant to prevent the soldiery leaving for Abyssinia. Queen Victoria and the Emperors of Austria and Germany sent messages of sympathy to the King of Italy, and Russian newspapers were collecting funds for relief of wounded Abyssinians.

Italy's total loss in killed and wounded was said to exceed 10,000. Twenty-two cannon were captured, and on March 5 one brigade was still missing. Still later Italy's losses were put at 7000 wnite troops, 5000 mules, and 10,000 rifles. The Shoas killed the wounded native allies of the Italians, amputating their limbs and otherwise mutilating their bodies.

A Sydney message on March 31, 1896, said there was a sensation when a leading doctor, an Italian, was leaving a prosperous practice and his family to volunteer for service in Abyssinia. An Earlier Fight • A month before + he battle of Adowa there was trouble at -Tort Makaleh, and this was given almost as much prominence as the main battle. The description of this engagement was given in the following cablegrams from Rome:— "Before the evacuation of Fort Makaleh by the Italians, a final assault was made by the besiegers. Major Galliano, the commandant, allowed the Shoas to attempt to scale the walls, pretending that the garrison was powerless to offer any defence. Suddenly, however, the Maxim guns and repeating rifles opened on the assailants with such deadly effect that no fewer than 1500 were believed to be killed. Afterwards terms were come to for the evacuation of the fort, and Ras Makocen, the Abyssinian chief, escorted Major Galliano and his troops to Adigrat, the Italian headquarters. This was aone to prevent an attack and possible further bloodshed by the Anparas natives. Major Galliano blew up the fort before leaving it." "King Menelek is much incensed at the disloyalty of the Italians in destroying Fort Makaleh after being allowed to depart from there under escort."

"The campaign in Abyssinia will be prosecuted with energy; 30,000 troops will be placed at General Baratieri's disposal." Comment by "The Press" •In the same issue in which was the news of the surrender of Fort Makaleh there was some editorial comment under the heading, "Topics of the Day." It was entitled "The Italians in Abyssinia," and has particular interest in view of the present situation. It read:

"Speaking in the Chamber a few days after the disastrous defeat of the Italian forces by the Shoas at Ambalagi, the Italian Minister for War declared that it could readily be retrieved. This statement, in the opinion of a London writer, seemed to fit the circumstances pretty readily. 'lf Menelek comes on,' he said, 'he will find Makaleh strongly fortified, and behind Makaleh lie Adowa and Adigrat.' Menelek has come on, however, and Makaleh has fallen before him, or at any rate, the Italians have evacuated it with the honours of war. The attempts on the part of Italy to convert what has been called her shadowy protectorate over Abyssinia into a reality have, so far, been decidedly unsuccessful, and it looks as if the terms of the impending overtures for peace will be much more in favour of King Menelek than will be altogether pleasing to Italy, according to General Gandolfi, the predecessor of General Baratieri in Abyssinia. Italy has tried in Africa two distinct policies—armed protectorate and conquest. 'ln the beginning, from 1885 to 1890, her policy was conducted in diplomatic form, and failed just at the moment in which it seemed most successful, with the conclusion of a treaty by which the whole of Abyssinia was put under the protectorate of Italy, but which was at once repudiated by Emperor Menelek. From the ashes of this policy rose up the armed protectorate in the English mode or similar to that which the French have now adopted in Madagascar. This attitude changed suddenly when Italy eadeav-

oured to add to the unproductive territory taken from Abyssinia the lands of the Sudan, considered so fertile and rich.' The operations in the Sudan were, it is said, the real origin of the attacks of the Abyssinians which followed, obliging Italy to adopt her latest policy of revenge and conquest at any cost, which was inaugurated in October last. By this she was impelled forward into the distant positions from which she has lately been driven back with such heavy loss. It is asked what Italy expects to gain by the conquest of Abyssinia. Much of it is arid, rocky country, utterly useless for anything, and the cultivated portions are described as being peopled by fierce, independent tribes which could only be held down by a detachment of troops in each village. Besides, ft is pointed out that if Italy succeeded in her designs she would ! incur the hostility of France, which would resent the blocking of her ap-l proach to the head waters of the Nile. I Altogether it seems as if the desire to become a colonising power in Africa is going to lead Italy into troubled ways, if it is persisted in." This was followed immediately by a similar article under the heading of "The Italian Reverse," which said that Italy's successive reverses could not "be laid at the door of the troops engaged, who seemed to have fought with courage and determination . . . ." It referred to the engagement at Ambalagi, in which 2500 Italian troops "defended their position for more than six hours against a force of some 22,000 Shoas." After all hope of relief had died, the Italian troops were ordered to retire, but doing so caused a hand-to-hand fight. "During the retreat the enemy occasionally got as near as 10 paces, and the little force was still further ginned out." The last lines of this 1896 article were: "When at length the road was reached Major Toselli ordered Captain Botrero to rally the survivors and take them to Makaleh. He himself, however, apparently determined not to survive the disaster, for he then faced the enemy alone and made his body a target for their bullets. The distribution of the Italian troops among too many different, outposts appears to be responsible, in part, for this reverse, but it was also partly due, no doubt, to a fault with which England can unfortunately be charged, that of undervaluing the powers of a savage foe." - - - -'-- .--^iE-jTJSjSSr^j^gl.