HEAVY BATTLE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12769, 27 January 1936, Page 5

HEAVY BATTLE

RAGES AROUND MAKALE. ' STALIANS CLAIM VICTORY. ' ; BUT FATE STILL IN BALANCE. WIRELESS CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS.' r bESPERATE Hand-to-hand fighting. (U.P A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright). (Received Jan. 26, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 25. Desperate lighting,' in which both sides claimed the advantage, raged round Makalo. whose 'fate is still in the balance, the combatants ‘giving their lives recklessly. The present stage of the conflict is the last phase of a. general engagement iii the Tembien region. The Italians, while announcing vietory, admit losing 25 killed and 19 wounded white officers and 389 white soldiers killed and wounded and 310 Askari.s killed and wounded. These j are the largest . losses since the in- 1 (•option of the campaign. • j The Italians assort that tlio Ahv.s- j stninns ‘ lost 8000 men. 4000 of whom are prisoners. ' ] The Abyssiniuns, ■ whose combined forces of 40,000 were under Has Seyoum, discount the Italian claims and declare that the invaders- lost heavily in hand to hand fighting between Mnkale and Hauzien, : attendnnt upon a -successful ■ Abyssinian outflanking movement. But- this-success seems to have been toemporary, the Italian reinforcements having restored the -position. Nevertheless, the Abyssinia ns assert that their onslaught- -broke the morale-of the Italians and drove them in flight with the loss of tw i fortified positions, 1700 dead and 800 prisoners, twelve heavy guns, 112 machine guns, some tanks and an uncomputed quantity of rifles and ammunition. An . Italian wireless message from Maka’e admitted that the position was desperate and implored reinforcements-. but it is’uncertain at what phase of the battle ‘lbis' was dispatched. . ASMARA. Jan. 26. The official Italian account points out thalt unlike the previous northern engagements, the third major Tembien battle was fought almost entirely by white troops, namely- a Black ' Shirt Division. Has Kassa. faced with this' opposition, attempted to surround the advancing column, throwing : liis entire force into tlie battle on January 21 in'an effort'to annihilate the Black Shirts in hand to hand' fighting. The Black Shirts fought valiantly all day and eventually broke the encirclement with heavy losses. Ras lvassa on January 22 adopted an open' formation, abandoning his customary caution, and hurling all his men against the Italians, charging them again and again, despite a murderous artillery barrage arid machine gun volley.'.

One of the Abyssinian Northern Commanders, who is fighting valiant- ■ •ly against the Italians, "■

The Abyssiniuns, apparently insensible to their losses, maintained their spirit until January 23, when the inexhaustible jorcos ol Ra Kassas troops stormed the Italian position. The Black Shirts, despite furious bayonet charges, were • losing ground, when their commanders, scorning the delay of action, rushed up reinforcements which turned the scale against tlie Abyssiniuns. the fresh troops combining in the final assault with the Black Shirts, who leapt from their defensive positions and 'scattered Ras Kassa’s warriors in what is claimed' to have been as decisive !l victory' as General Graziani’s on the Southern front.

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 25. Fifty thousand warriors of- 1 mixed triljes art Ten route to reinforce Was Desta, whoso troops Llcneral Gmzfiii'ii continues to (pursue, despite- the fact that he had readied the almost Waterless &ikl* thickly ‘forested !, ReiVgi highlands, where he lias been compelled to restrict the troops’ water Supply to If pints daily;" p Details of last week’s lightning attack discloses that .‘l5O motor lorries carried ,G6n<iral Grazian’i’s troops from Dolo 240 miles to Negelli with ■ six days’ food and water. Negelli was found undamaged by bombs, despite the operations of, twenty-six Italian aeroplanes. The ' inhabitants of Daggahbur■had become almost inured , to the' bombardments, the twelfth whereof occured to-day. The I talians dropped a total of 2503 bombs, hut the casualties did not exceed l thirty. The British Wed Cross arrived ,at Waldia whereto they had travelled day and night and attended .133 wounded bv electric torchlight.

ITALIAN RELY TO RESTRICTIONS. : SANCTIONS ON lIORSE RACING. (U.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright). (Received jail. 26, 6.40 p.m.). ROME, Jan. 25. The Italian Turf Club i s applying counter sanctions ' to horse ;aeing, and has ordered that the names of the StvLeger and, the' Oakk be changed to the premio d-A". Eh’scui and preinio Diunit’ respectively; and the cancellation. of the name: of racehorses in the languages of sanctionist countries. THE ‘•BEAUTY” OF AVAR? ITALIAN VIEWPOINT The one-time celebrated Italian futurist leader,. Signor F. T.- Marinetti, who has recently gone to Abyssinia' with the Black Shirts, lias published another of his eagerly awaited 'manifestos. This time it deals with what he calls the “ Futurist aesthetics of war.” The‘creed propounded, that there is beauty in war, is set out by Marinetti in eleven articles or ‘‘principles'l which all “futurist artists and poets -are called upon to memorise”. ■Summarised by Reuter's correspondent at Rome, they are as follow:-- ■ A) ar lias a beauty of its own—1. Because, it fuses together in harmony, strength and kindness. Strength alone tends to cruelty, and kindness to debility, but the two together “generate solidarity and generosity."

2. Because it assures the suprein : nev of mechanised man. equipped with gas masks, megaphones, flamethrowers, and tanks over his machines.

3. Because it begins the longdr tamed-of metalisation of man.

4. Because it completes the beauty of ia. flowery meadow with its machine guns, “passionate orchids.” ■j. Because when the symphony of rifle tire and artillery bombardment ■stops', the sang of soldier*! can he heard. and the perfumes and odours ■of putrefaction e'.m ke perceived. (3- Because it genially remoulds terrestrial scenery." with its inspired artillery.