ITALIAN METHODS OF COLONISATION

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 172, 17 April 1937, Page 10

ITALIAN METHODS OF COLONISATION

Policy in Ethiopia IMMIGRATION SCHEME FOR PEASANTS Dominion Special Service. Auckland, April 16. Italian methods of colonisation in Ethiopia were outlined by Dr. E. Arrighi, the newly-appointed Italian consul for Melbourne, when be passed through Auckland on the Monterey on his way to Australia. Dr. Artighi has been Italian consul at Los Angeles for the last 18 months. "IVe have just started wilh the agricultural colonisation of Ethiopia, and aret sending peasants from different provinces in Italy under an immigiation scheme controlled by the Government,” Dr. Arrighi said. “Immigration has been necessary for us. There are 5.000,000 Italians in the United States alone, and the country is over-populated and the provinces very poor in natural resources, “In Ethiopia there is now a military Government, and the first thing is to build roads and provide public utilities. We are sending over peasants, and” the next item will be to exploit the agricultural resources and mineral resources we hope to find. It is hoped to develop a fruit-growing area on the high plains in the hot climate.” The opinion that the majority of the people would take kindly to Italian rule was expressed by Dr. Arrighi. He said the people of the country were divided into two races, the so-called Ethiopians being in the minority. The others were tribesmen in whose interests it was to fall in with the Italians in the development of the country. For a long time the tribesmen had been subject to the harsh rule of the Ethiopians, and had been exploited by the provincial governors. “We have already established hospitals to isolate lepers, a very big thing for Ethiopia,” he added. “We are trying to have water services and other facilities for the natives, who, as a result, are interested in our policy.” ITALIAN AVIATOR Distinction in Abyssinian War Auckland, April 16. Known to his fellow newspapermen as “The Flying Reporter” and to the Italian people as one of their country’s bravest airmen who served with distinction in the Abyssinian war, Professor V. Beonio Broechieri, of Milan, arrived by the Monterey to-day to enjoy the attractions of New Zealand and later those of Australia. A fellow passenger. Dr. E. Arrigihi, newly-appointed Italian Consul at Melbourne, said : “He was one of the bravest aviators in the Abyssinian war, in which be enlisted at the beginning with his own aeroplane. He was mentioned several times in dispatches and was the first Italian pilot to land at Addis Ababa after the occupation. He has also flown around the world, sending correspondence to his newspaper.” Professor Broechieri told an interviewed that he was in Ethiopia about three years ago as a writer. It was mostly a wild place, with little organisation and hardly one road. The people were affected by tropical diseases. Now that the war was over the Italian Government was carrying out a great programme of work, bringing the natives back to proper health and living, making a great system of roads and developing agriculture and industry. Italy had a great deal to do in Abyssinia for a good many years to come. The people of Italy had a great admiration for the people of New Zealand and the country they had developed in so short a time, Professor Broechieri .added. He was looking forward eagerly to gaining information for articles for his paper, “Corriere Della Sera.” which bad a circulation about 1,000,000.