REINFORCEMENTS IN TEMBIEN

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21708, 15 February 1936, Page 15

REINFORCEMENTS IN TEMBIEN

ABYSSINIANS MOVE

“LYING CAMPAIGN” ALLEGED IN ROME

(rimrin vust associiltiow—coPtllOHT.) (Received February 14, 10.16 p.ni.) ADDIS ABABA, February 13. An eye-witness relates that a constant stream of Abyssinian reinforcements, moving up in , the Tembien region, includes at least 20 per cent, of women, dressed as men and carrying rifles and ammunition. It is'officially stated that Abyssinians killed 200 askaris at Curati oft February 11, and captured large supplies of clothing, food, and ammunition. On the other hand, the official spokesman at Rome declares that General Graziani’s troops never held Curati: “It is now part of Abyssinia’s lying campaign to announce that our troops occupied a town andjWere then compelled to evacuate M.” The Aoyssinians claim that on February 11 they repulsed an allnight Italian attack on an Abyssian outpost at Imi, on the Tafan river, which was strongly held as the main motor road from Dagamodo.

NO BRITISH ADVISER TO EMPEROR

ITALIAN ALLEGATION DENIED

(Received February 14, 8.41 p.m.) ROME, February 13. Sir Eric Drummond (British Ambassador at Rome) called on Signor Fulvio Suvich (Italian Under-Secre-tary for Foreign Affairs) ' and pointed out that there was not the slightest ground for the absurd allegation in the Italian newspapers that Colonel Holt, senior British military attache at Addis Ababa, was acting as Haile Selassie’s chief military adviser. A London message states that the Dessie correspondent of “The Times” says that officials at the Ethiopian headquarters were amused by the allegation that Colonel Holt was acting as Haile Selassie’s chief military adviser. They emphasise that Colonel Holt is merely performing his duties as military attache. [A message printed on Thursday stated that the newspapers at Rome continued to make England the scapegoat for the war, with the following announcement featured on the main pages: “The military adviser of the Negus is an Englishman, Colonel Holt. All the Abyssinians’ ammunition comes from England.”!

CASUALTIES in # tembien BATTLE

•CONFLICTING ITALIAN AND ABYSSINIAN ESTIMATES

LONDON, February 13. The special correspondent of “The Times” at Addis Ababa, commenting on the conflicting figures of the casualties in the Tembien battle, says: “While it seems clear that Ras Kassa has gained an important victory. the magnitude of the figures of burials of Italian dead surprises impartial observers.” The Rome correspondent of “The Times” says: “The Italian assertion of light losses in the advance from Dolo, in which only 261 natives were killed in January, is inexplicable when the official report of the severity of the battle is remembered.”

ABYSSINIAN PROTEST TO FRANCE

(Received February 14, 7.10 p.m.) PARIS, February 13. The Ethiopian Minister has protested to the French Foreign Minister (M. Flandin) against the refusal of the French owners of the railway to carry munitions between Djibouti and Addis Ababa. M. Flandin is reported to have replied that the Government did not propose to change the policy.