A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 119, 13 February 1935, Page 7

A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Italy and Abyssinia Five Italian Somaliland troopers are reported to have been killed and six wounded in a frontier clash, the! Abyssinian losses being greater. De- i spite professions of friendship by! Italy and Abyssinia, a certain degree ' of tension exists between the two Governments. The modernisation of the Abyssinian Army and recent steps taken by Italy to strengthen the defences of Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, her colonies bordering on Abyssinia, started rumours of impending trouble and caused anxiety on both sides of the frontier. Anti-Italian feeling in Abyssinia resulted last November in an attack on the Italian consulate at Gondar, near Lake Tana, in which one member of the consulate’s native guard was killed and three others wounded. Italy at once demanded “prompt and adequate reparation,” and troop movements in the Italian colonies were reported. The Abyssinian Government immediately dispatched an official note of regret to Rome, ordered the Governor of Gondar to pay honours to the Italian flag before the Gondar consulate and paid in-, demnities for the victims. The damages offered for the dead guard only amounted to 85.20 dollars at the current rate of exchange, while 12.78 dollars was paid for each of the wounded men. That the Italian Government chose to regard these trifling sums as adequate indicates how strong is its desire to cultivate good relations and to do nothing that might injure the chances of promoting Italy’s commercial interests in Abyssinia. Abyssinia.

Referring to the trouble between Italy and Abyssinia the Abyssinian correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says the Ethiopians are essentially a warlike race. The word "Abyssinia is resented by the natives, who call themselves Ethiopians. “Abyssinia” means mongrel, and there is hardly on earth a more mixed population. The types range from the blackest looking negro-looking faces to the regular features of the Arab kind, scarcely duskier than those of Eurasians, and to handsome, light-skinned representatives of certain branches of the Mediterranean race. An amusing point is that Abyssinians, however black and uncomely, oherish the idea that they are the white people. They allude to Europeans as “Red Faces.” The chief diet is raw meat. The real trouble with Abyssinia is that it is an unconsolidated collection of warlike races. The main element of the population are the northern Africans, akin to the Berbers, to early Egyptians and to many Europeans of the Mediterranean race. A race which speaks the Semitised language, Amharic, are the true Abyssinians, or mongrels, that give the country its foreign name and provide the sharp-shooting militia-men on whose irregular ways of mountain warfare the freedom of the nation has for thousands of years depended.

Cook Islands. lhe Cook Islands have been visited by the most severe hurricane experienced in the group for many years. The Cook group comprises eight islands— Rarotonga, Mangaia, Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro, Aitutaki, Takutea and Manuae. Rarotonga is, beyond all doubt, the most valuable and fertile of the group, and is the finest in point of scenic attractions. Its highest peak is 3000 feet, and the circumference of the island is over 20 miles. Avarua, on the north coast, is the principal village of the island and the seat of the Cook Islands administration. Mangaia, about 30 miles round, is probably the least fertile. The people, however, are among the most industrious of the group. It is 116 miles from Rarotonga. Mauke, or Perry Island, 150 miles from Rarotonga, is low and flat. It is only about ~ four square miles in area, while the general level of the island is about 60 feet above the sea. It is remarkably ■ fertile. Atiu has an area of about 22 square miles, and is distant from Rarotonga 116 miles. Aitutaki, 140 miles from Rarotonga, combines the features of the volcanic island and the atoll. The area is about seven square miles ; the land is fertile, and it has many scenic attractions. Mitiaro, about four square miles in area, is a coral island lying about 40 miles from Atiu and an equal distance from Mauke. Takutea, 400 acres in area, is 125 miles from Rarotonga and close to the island of Atiu. Manuae and Te Au-o-Tu, known also as the Hervey Isles, are approximately 500 and 800 acres respectively, and form a dependency of Aitutaki from which they are about 60 miles distant and 120 miles from Rarotonga. For the growth of coconuts, coffee, bananas, oranges and other tropical fruits —but particularly bananas—few other islands are better suited than the Cook Islands. The islands are a dependency of New Zealand. * Mr. Lloyd George.

It is unofficially stated that the Conservatives have been approaching Mr. Lloyd George who has again been making himself an active force in British polities. Mr. Lloyd George hopes to .dominate the political arena by means of what may be called a SocialistRadical combination in which he would hold the balance of power. At the same time, as he frankly confesses, he will spare no pains to attract those whom he describes as ’’independent Conservatives justly discontented with National Government.” Nevertheless, he intends to keep a free hand until the actual results of the next general election are known, for he believes that neither of the two larger parties— Socialists or Conservatives—will have an independent majority. He counts, therefore, above all on returning a compact phalanx of his own followers without whom no kind of working ministerial majority could be constituted. In Mr. Lloyd George’s proposed “New Deal” policy full national control of the Bank of England is to be the central point. He denies, however, that his scheme is one of Socialism, though he says that he is not afraid of Socialism. Mr. Lloyd George conceives of a new economic system and a new machinery that will deaf with “finance, industry, agriculture, shipping, housing in town and country, transport communications, electricity and other public services.” He believes that there is an immense mass of unattached electors who will not go to the poll for either Socialism or Conservatism, but are ready to vote for a new group. He hopes to capture those votes. In constituencies where he sees no hope of returning a candidate of his own he will support the Socialist party.