ABYSSINIA'S ARMY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 86, 8 October 1935, Page 8

ABYSSINIA'S ARMY

IEBEGULAE TROOPS

WARRIORS BY NATURE

■ Apart from what is known as the Imperial Guard, a force of not more than 15,000 men*—infantry, cavalry, and artillery—with not more than 100 mountain guns, 1000 machine-guns, and about a dozen commercial aeroplanes, reports an Addis Ababa correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian," the principal military forces on which the Emperor can rely are the irregular troops who form Abyssinia's national army, the army, that from time immemorial has faced and defeated all invaders. This national army has no regular term of military service. It is made up of men of all ages from fifteen to' over sixty, for. the Abyssinian from the'age of twelve has no other ambition than'to buy, with the first money he gains, a gun, cartridges, belt, buckler, spear,'and curved j sword.... On a general mobilisation this jarmy may reach 300,000 men? carrying arms of the most various pattern and bore. Of the 300,000 arms,' some IOO.QOD are modern repeating rifles^ in'; good condition with a fair number of cartridges each. The remaining 200,000 are of all types, largely old Italian and Russian, with only, a small supply of ammunition. '

About half of the 300,000 combatants ride their own mules or horses, though not organised in cavairy squadrons. The Abyssinian is a good horseman, used to riding from.his earliest years. The horsemen of-the/provinces of Galla, Wallo, and Aroiissislare- famous. Aeroplanes, machine-guns, heavy guns, and all other modern arms . are, of course, entirely unknown to this national army. ■■■ • .-.*'

These 300,000 combatants will be followed by about 200,000 men, women, and children as the commissariat section of the army. Their means of transport include mules, horses, and donkeys, and many carry on their heads packs weighing fifty to seventy pounds. Their men are armed only with curved swords, bucklers, and lances. . '■■ ■ '

The Abyssinian, soldier of this army has no uniform; he ■ wears the peasant's shirt and trousers of thin white cotton cloth and his ' cartridge-belt. There are few doctors, with still less medicine. Wounds are cauterised with a hot iron, and sickness treated with medicinal herbs. The simple .food consists of cakes made from Various kinds of flour, raw meat, and roasted wheat and peas. . The wives and daughters will cook and the.children serve. /And the devout Abyssinians, who are used to long fasts, can last one or two, days easily without any food or water. With this frugal subsistence soldiers and peasants alike are entirely content. Their only luxury is the "berberi," a sort of ground red popper.. MARTIAL QUALITIES. , ; The Abyssinian soldier has the adr vantage of being in his own country and thoroughly familiar with its mountain passes and paths, its rivers an,d lakes. His other;, qualities/- aye" 'his great xourage, his endurance' ■under' privation, and his rapidity o.f move-* ment both in attack and,in-.the_ search for th.c food stored in huts in, ."'the forests.- , •.'■'. .■-.'■•:'••'■"■Vv'.-'V In a war of.ambuscade he has in his favour the nature of the country, an enormous wilderness of great stones, every part of it a. natural fortress! The invader's difficulties will be daunting, between ambuscades and the natural obstacles of the country. The only railway line is far:from both Ironts, and there are no motor-roads, only paths suitable: f6r mule and camel transport. Mountains up 'to 13,000 feet in height, with; dreadful precipices, lead to plains which in turn are blocked by other- precipitous mountains. At short intervals come streams which form deep ravines; necessitating complicated bridgebuilding. In the :high plateaux the European soldier, transported from the temperate climate of his home, will' suffer frohv the' ice-cold nights. | Malaria and dysentery will also take their toll. ■ •: :..'■■'■ . >'"■'>■ . There will be. little that, the Italian aviators. can do. There ■ are no ajjmy barracks or munition stores to bomb, no industrial centres,.no.factories, no important 'buildings', no petrol tanks or dumps of explosive's. VThere are peasants' huts to bpnibt They are erections of wood a'ftd mud,.covered-with straw, and can be';.rebuilt in fortyeight hours. ;.;. ..;. ::; . THE ARMY LEADERS. The Emperor, Haile Selassie I, is regarded as the Commarider-in-Chief of the Abyssinian Array; "and in due course he will Certainly put himself at its head. The simple Abyssinian cannot conceive a war against an.invader without the Emperor in person at the head of his forces. .He will be accompanied in the campaign by the religious chiefs and priests. The second field marshal of the army is the Emperor's eldest son, the heir to the throne, the Maridazmatch Asfaou Wossan, at present Governor of the Province of Wallo, near the Eritrean front. Immediately after him come the seven "Rases".of the Abyssinian army. ("Ras" means "head" in Abyssinian), most of whom are governors of provinces. They are:— Ras Kassa, governor of Scllali and Gondar, aned. about fifty, mauy years adviser to the Emporor, a shrewd and moderate., man, greatly esteemed In the whole country. Ras Seyovnn, governor of Tlcrc, adjoining Eritrea, grandson of llio famous Emperor Johannes. Chief of the brave and warlike tribo of Tlgro. — Ras ImeroU, covernor of Gojjani, a cousin of tho present Emperor. Una Mouloucheta, Minister of. War.'. Has Desta Damtou, son-in-law of the present Emporor, Governor of Sldanio. His father was killed in tho Battlo of Adowa. Has Guetatcho Ambata, ox-Ambassador of Ethiopia in Paris. Governor of Kail'a. Has Kaliada, governor of Kambata. Next to the Rases are the "Dedjazmatch" (Abyssinian for "Commander of the Centre"), who include:— ~ Dedjazmatch Nasslbou {governor cf . Harrar), Ignzzou (adviser to the Emporor), Anido (adviser to the Emporor and govoruor of Aroussi), Gabromarlam (Minister ol the Interior), Balcha (a famous warrior). Hallo Selassie Goiiusa (governor of part of Tigre, sou-in r la\v of the Emperor). Hallo Selassie (uncle of the Emperor and adviser to him), and Ambatcho Gassassu (governor of part of Wallo) After the "Dedjazmatch" come the "Kagniazmatch" (Commanders of" the Right Flank), "Guirazmatch" (Commanders of the Left Flank), and "Fitauraries" (Commanders of. the Advance Guard). , . Such, in brief, is the' Abyssinian army, its organisation, and its leaders. In a pitched battlo it could, not. have much chance of success, against - an adversary equipped with all the modern means of war. Nevertheless, if the Emperor decides to. defend- his country against Italy he will certainly be followed by his whole people.. The war will, no doubt, develop into a guerrilla war of ambuscades,, and it may last much longer than Italy probably thinks. The Emperor has proved himself to be a first-class politician and diplomat, and there is no reason why he should not prove himself also an outstanding general. He leads a nation of brave warriors, full of na-. tional enthusiasm. If war starts the world will witness a bitter struggle. The Abyssinians will sell their liberty dearly.