ITALIAN THRUST

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 134, 2 March 1936, Page 9

ITALIAN THRUST

Enemy Threatened With Encirclement NEW TEMBIEN BATTLE Position of Abyssinians Claimed Critical LARGE FORCES ENGAGED By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright (Received March 1, 7.30 p.m.) Rome, February 29. Marshal Badoglio has issued a communique stating: “A great battle has been in progress since dawn on February 28. The second battle of Tembien has reached a decisive phase. The position of Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoum is more critical hourly.” Earlier he had announced the capture of Ainba Alagi. Correspondents report that 100,000 Italians are in action between the Soudan frontier and Amba Alagi. The third Italian Army Corps is advancing from Aksum and attempting to join the Second Native Corps moving northward from Gaela, while the Second Italian Corps is manoeuvring to complete the envelopment of the Abyssinians in the Tembien salient. Tne pinching off of them will remove the Abyssinian threat to Italian communications, now extending 40 miles from Makale toward Amba Alagi. The Abyssinians yesterday realised the danger and tried to escape westward, but found the Third Army Corps blocking the way. They fought until their ammunition was exhausted, when they dashed in with sword and bayonet and were almost annihilated. They also suffered heavily from aerial bombing. Feat of Alpinis.

Alpinis of the Sabauda division occupied the passes of Togora and Falaga flanking Amba Alagi. The actual captors of Amba Alagi were Aipinis, who scaled the mountain-sides like steeplejacks. The flag planted on Amba Alagi was sent expressly from Italy by the father of an officer who died leading one of Major Toselli’s Askari divisions. Haile Selassie, interviewed, declares that the Italian penetration of the country causes him no concern since the advance has lengthened their lines of communication and increased the opportunity for guerilla tactics. Asmara reports that the Abyssinians are lighting a stubborn rearguard action near Amba Alagi. Italians believe that the Emperor is personally leading reinforcements northward to assist Ras Seyoum and Ras Kassa to thwart the encirclement movement. With the capture of \inba Alagi and the planting of the 1 an flag on the summit of the phi:...a. where Major Pietro Toselii met disaster in 1896, all the territory which was occupied by the Italians before their defeat at Adowa in that year has now been regained. Rome has given itself up to rejoicing, with torchlight processions. The newspapers announced the victory in enormous type. Rejoicings of Rome.

The citizens believe that the gateway to Abyssinia is in Italian hands, and that the possession of Amba Aligi and the Antalo heights should enable the invaders to cope with flank attacks from the west. They hope to capture Ashangi, where Ras Mulugeta is now re-forming his forces before the rains begin. An earlier message stated that Marshal Badoglio’s continued postponement of attack was causing much anxious speculation in Rome, and the people were uneasily wondering what obstacles were confronting him, his activity being confined to sporadic and not very successful bombardments of Ras Kassa’s forces, the Abyssinlans re plying vigorously with anti-aircraft guns. A message from Addis Ababa reports that Red Cross units on the northern front urgent/ly require antidotes to mustard gas, which the Italians are reported to be using on a considerable scale. The Abyssinian Government spokesman denied as grotesque reports from Rome and Jibuti that the Emperor Haile Selassie is ill. OIL EMBARGO ISSUE Committee of Eighteen to Decide This Week (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, February 28. The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, will leave London on Sunday to attend Monday’s meeting in Geneva of the Committee of Eighteen, the main purpose' of which is to consider the question of adding oil to the list of commodities upon which an embargo to Italy has been placed. The principles by which the British Government for its part will be guided in thi.s matter were outlined by the Foreign Secretary in his speech last Monday. Having pointed out that there was nothing symbolic about oil and that it was a sanction like any other and to be judged by the same criterion —namely, whether its imposition would help to end war—he made it clear that the British Government bad not departed from its original decision of principle, taken last November, regarding an oil sanction, nor from its resolve to take its full part with others in such collective action that the League may decide upon. Mr. Eden added that it remained the British Government’s policy to maintain steady ami collective resistance to aggression, that they would be guided in their task by the spirit of the League Covenant itself, and that, there would be neither weakness nor wavering in this course until peace is signed. ITALY’S REASON Refusal to Sign Naval Pact (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, February 28. The difficulties of procedure which have been raised by the Italian delegation to the Naval Conference, and as a result of which, as wel] as of certain technical difficulties, they are not for the present ready to sign a naval agreement, are understood by the newspapers to refer mainly to the

Italian objection to an actual signature while the present political situation in Europe persists. The objections do not apply to the continuance of the process of drafting a new agreement. The head of the United States naval delegation, Mr. Norman Davis, called on the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden,, at the Foreign Office to-day. They discussed the position of the Naval Conference in view of Italy's attitude.