THE FUTURE OF DJIBOUTI

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21792, 26 May 1936, Page 11

THE FUTURE OF DJIBOUTI

GROWING ANXIETY IN

FRANCE

THREAT TO COLONIAL COMMUNICATIONS

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.)

(Received May 25, 11,15 p.m.)

LONDON, May 25

The Paris correspondent of “The Times” says Signor Mussolini’s assurance that the Italian occupation of Abyssinia will not affect the Djibouti railway, which shall continue to be used normally, has little value in French eyes because it is not the railway, but the future economic and political existence of Djibouti itself which is endangered. Even the most rabid anti-sanction-ists are beginning to discover that Signor Mussolini’s Abyssinian adventure concerns France more closely than they were ever prepared to admit. The Italian victory threatens French colonial communications, which cannot be ignored, as Djibouti is an important link between France, Indo-China, and Madagascar. Moreover, its maintenance cost France nothing, as it lives on the Ethiopian trade. Thus any interference with it, either by Italian monopolisation or the prohibition of commercial relations between Abyssinia and sanctionist countries, must be disastrous. MASSACRE AT HARRAR CHRISTIANS KILLED DV SOMALIS LONDON. May 24. The massacre by Italian Somalia at Harrar took a religious complexion. About. 290 Amharic Chi istians were killed in the fil'd Six days af'e” the occupation of the city. The victims were asked: “Are youOi Islam?” If they did not answer immediately with the Mohammedan declaration of faith they were shot down.