“ITALY CANNOT BE COERCED”

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21685, 20 January 1936, Page 11

“ITALY CANNOT BE COERCED”

♦ CONFIDENT STATEMENT IN ROME SUCCESSES DENIED BY ABYSSINIANS (UXITED VKESS AISOCIATIOH—COPTRIGUT.) (Received January 19, 10.30 p.m.)

ROME, January 18

Marshal Badoglio’s communique states that General Graziani’s troops are continuing the pursuit with no serious resistance. The mechanised column advanced 125 miles from its base, capturing detachments and abandoned material. Five thousand Abyssinians have been killed. On the contrary, it is declared at Addis Ababa that the Italian claims are completely false, and apparently advanced to help Italy’s cause at the coming league session. Information from Ogaden indicates that since JanuafV 13 the Abyssinians have scattered and moved to safer ground to avoid gas attacks. Newspapers in Rome draw attention to the closing of the second month of sanctions, which, they declare, finds Italy even stronger than before. This proves, according to Signor Mussolini’s paper, “Popolo DTtaiia,” that “Italy cannot be coerced, humiliated, and suffocated.”

Marshal Badoglio’s communique claims that the operations in Ganale Borya are complete. The enemy are in flight, and Ras Desta’s troops are disintegrating in a rout. The mechanised troops in some sectors have advanced 75 miles. The enemy casualties are at least 4000, and many prisoners and large quantities of rifles and machine-guns, have, been captured. The losses of Italian nationals are small.

Addis Ababa is equally elated by reports received of the operations in the Tembien region, where Ras Seyoura is reported to be advancing. Prisoners report friction apd unrest in the Italian ranks in Eritrea and Somaliland.

A message from Bessie states that the Italians bombed Korem and also dropped leaflets expressing regret that they had been obliged to destroy the churches, and promising to rebuild them in better style when they were victorious. The apparent failure of the International Red Cross to do anything about the Italian bombings is deplored by members of the foreign Red Cross bodies in Abyssinia, who are bewildered at the report that the International Red Cross has decided not to take sides in the war between Italy and Ethiopia. They point out that there is no probability of the Abyssinians attacking the Italian Red Cross. EFFECT OF LATEST BATTLE ITALIANS’ ROAD NO CLEARER CONFLICTING REPORTS OF LOSSES LONDON, January 17. Though the Italians, while not disclosing their own losses, claim that 4000 Abyssinians were killed in the Ganale Borya battle, officials at Addis Ababa assert that the total of Ras Desta’s troops engaged was only 4000. They declare that his transport difficulties have been already partly overcome, and that reinforcemqnts numbering 30,000 are on the way to his assistance. As far as is ascertainable in the face of the strict censorship, the only immediate strategic result of the battle seems to be that an appreciable corner of Kenya Colony separates the remainder of Ras Desta’s troops from Italian Somaliland.

Moreover, if only 4000 Abyssinians were engaged, the action will not appreciably clear the Italians’ road to Jijiga and Harar. The Bessie correspondent of the “News Chronicle” considers that the Italians’ claim to victory, their projected main offensive to the northwest by way of Sidamo is still delayed by heat, malaria, and lack of food.

General Graziani asserts that his 75,000 troops now hold a front of 450 miles running 40 miles west of Dolo in a north-easterly direction through Gorahai and Sasa Baneh to the British Somaliland frontier. The Addis Ababa correspondent of “The Times” says that General Graziani has only covered ground occupied by one Abyssinian camp. The Emperor’s officials declare that the defenders on the Webbe Shebeli and Western Dawa rivers are untouched.

Haile Selassie has ordered the formation of reserve headquarters behind Res Desta under the command of Makonnen Woshenie, a civil war veteran, to deliver an attack on Italian Somaliland as a diversion if General Graziana should advance northwards.

ABYSSINIAN PRIESTS SUBMIT TO ITALY

VIRTUAL EX-COMMUNTCATION OF HAILE SELASSIE

(Received January 19, 11.5 p.m.)

AKSUM, January 111,

Priests of Endarariam, the oldest and most revered Coptic Church in Abyssinia, proclaimed the King of Italy their earthly protector and patron, in place of Haile Selassie. This is regarded as tantamount to an ex-communication of the Emperor. ITALY AT GENEVA ACTIVE PARTICIPATION NOT IMPLIED (Received January 20, 12.45 a.m.) LONDON, January 18. That Italy has decided to attend the league council does not imply active participation, as the opinion is still held at Rome that the couu-

cil will not achieve anything important. Signor Mussolini desires, however, that Baron Aloisi should be on the spot to supply any information required about the alleged Abyssinian atrocities and to rebut charges that Italians bombed the Red Cross. i ITALIAN AEROPLANE 1 INTERNED | NEUTRALITY RI LES APPLIED IN I SI’DAN ! | (BBWhU urtIGUL WIKRLESS.' j I . RUGBY. January 17. The Italian Government has been informed that an Italian military aeroplane and its crew of four, which made a forced landing on Wednesday some 50 miles from the Abyssinian border in the Sudan, have been interned by the authorities at Port Sudan in accordance with the generally accepted rules of air warfare. Soon after hostilities began in East Africa without the declaration of war, the Italian Government v as advised that in British colonial u rrilories adjacent to the area of conflict, and in the Sudan, the rules of neutrality would be applied cr. - de facto basis.