"NOT YET BEGUN"

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 96, 19 October 1935, Page 10

"NOT YET BEGUN"

WAR IN ABYSSINIA

ATTACK ON ADOWA EXPECTED

SMALL ITALIAN GAINS

(Received October 19, 2.50 p.m.)

LONDON, October 18.

Before sailing for Jibuti from Marseilles, Mr. Tecla Hawariat echoed the Emperor Haile Selassie's defiant message to the League of Nations: "War has not even begun."

Messages from Rome and Addis Ababa suggest that this is much more truthful than Italian displomatists* propaganda, inasmuch as Rome guardedly admits that Field-Marshal Badoglio, who may yet supersede General de Bono as Commander-in-Chief in Abyssinia, anticipates a powerful Abyssinian offensive upon Adowa. He bases this conclusion upon the theory that the defenders are grimly awaiting the inevitable extension of the Italian front, involving lengthening of the [lines of communication from the base, before the invaders can launch an offensive.

I Comments of Major Temperley, the "Daily Telegraph's" correspondent, suggest that the ease of their offensive has aroused suspicions, if not misgivings, among the Italians. He sums up the position as indicating that apart from the bloodless occupation of Adowa the Italian gains have been surprisingly small, and he emphasises that apart from sporadic demoralisation from the Italian air raids the Abyssinian forces remain intact.