ITALIAN FAILURE PREDICTED

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21707, 14 February 1936, Page 14

ITALIAN FAILURE PREDICTED

♦ EARLY ABANDONMENT OF STRUGGLE

MISSIONARY’S OPINION

(PBBBS ASSOCIATION TBLBGRAII.) WELLINGTON. February 13. Mr L. A. Davison, who for six years has served in Abyssinia as a member of the Sudan Interior Mission, arrived by the Rangitiki from London on .a holiday visit. In an interview he said, he was convinced that Italy, which the Abyssinians hate with deadly hatred, would have to give up the struggle in a short time, as the Italian troops had made hardly any progress. For most of his term in Abyssinia he was stationed in the south, which he described as a hotbed of slavery; but during his last year he made his headquarters at Addis Ababa, which he left last June. He spoke of the war news as unreliable, information from the front being conveyed by runners and taking from 12 to 14 days to reach headquarters. The runners, being Government run?, ners, were bound not to disclose any information. Anything newspaper representatives got was rumour and conjecture. They were not allowed to travel and had to fossick for facts as best they could. All the good interpreters had been snapped up, and newspaper men got information which was very unreliable from natives who could scarcely speak another language and also told questioners what was suggested to them. Abyssinians’ War Tactics Mr Davison described the Abyssinian war tactics as being, as far as possible, to hold the enemy in the hot and difficult portions of the territory. To lus mind the Italians were making practically no progress. He said the Abyssinians were not having such a bad time. They were sticking to their own highlands, with which they were thoroughly familiar. Proper military manoeuvres were observed in the disposition of troops, those familiar with the high country being drafted to toe high country and those familiar with the low country being retained there. The Abyssinians would not concentrate in camps and were not under canvas and for food they were better off than toe Italian forces. Mr Davison and his wife dined with the Emperor Haile Selassie before they left Addis Ababa. “He is a perfect gentleman and a perfect host, and I believe him to be an enlightened Christian,” said Mr Davison. “He can be very dignified on state occasions, but he has a keen sense of humour and is a most likeable man.” Mr Davison denied that political prisoners were treated with cruelty. They were treated like guests and had servants to wait on them. If anything happened to a political prisoner toe officer in charge would have to pay for it Suppression of Slavery In regard to slavery, he said there was a lot of false talk. There was slave trading going on, but it was all illegal and was punished by the Emperor with death, and no one could do more. Quite a number were hanged. No foreign Power could suppress slavery as fast as the Ethiopian Government was doing, because, after alLit took a native to> catch a native. The Government was doing its utmost to suppress slavery, but the profit in it kept it going, “Why not make slave owning illegal?” Mr Davison was asked. His answer was that Haile Selassie had been on the throne only five years and had not had time to consolidate his position in the country. The country had simply refused to do away with slaves. Masses of the people were not yet behind the Emperor, and, if he decreed that slavery must cease, he

would be dethroned. His policy was gradually to bring the country to see the evils of owning slaves. He had revolutionised the country in the five years he had been Emperor, and if allowed to work in his own way he would be all right. There were seven kings in Abyssinia, but all recognised Haile Selassie as King of Kings. His power was a real one and his decrees touched the farthest corners of the country.