WITHOUT QUARTER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12869, 23 May 1936, Page 9

WITHOUT QUARTER

HOW ITALY WAGED WAR. POLICY OF KiUGUTFrLXESS. For some time past the Fascist press has been advocating the adoption of the strongest reprisals and a general policy of “frightfulness' in the war waged against Ethiopia (stated a message from Rome early in April).

SiiH-o milii ;■ rv operations were beK'h! in. East .'tiricn the Italians hare complained that the Htluopian' troops v-ere employing barbarous methods during and after engagements. The Italian Government has already lodged a formal protest at Geneva concerning the use of explosive bullets h" the lit hiopinn.s. Since tlie protests and denunciations have not led !in improvement in the situation, the Italians: now state that- they will lieneefoi'ih use the harshest- means of destruction, nothing excluded. An editorial published in the Corner della Sera of Milan, one of the most aidhoritali ve fascist newspapers. explains the motives for the changed Italian war policy. I ho writer says that the treatment meted out to the Italian pilot, who had fallen into the hands of “fero-

cious assavsins. unworthy of the name o', -soldiers. •’ proves that to count u,onii the chivalry of these peoples, '•'l inn "'horn respect for international iau can l.e imposed only hy the use- of i.nreo and by the harsh demonstration

•'■! Italy's superiority in war, is absolutely out. (U the quest ion.

A modification ot our svstems of v.'a.r thus heroines necessary, not indy wit it a view to facilitating the msiv of pur .soldiers and to sparing their precious lives, inn also in order to frustrate the shameful manoeuvres and deceptions in which the white and black enemies of Italv’s sacrosanct enterprise, have recourse ” says the Milan Gorriere's editorial. “'Ve have witnessed in the last few tints an unheard ot falsification through the medium of important news agencies and newspapers of civilised countries, in connection with the alleged destruction of the members of a Swedish ambulance. It seems that under the impression of this fantastic report flags had been flown, at half-mast at Stockholm.

Don't Blame Italy

•■Jt should he pointed out, first of ail. that, even if this unhappy incident actually took place, no blame could be thrown upon Italy because these Swedes might have avoided nil harm hy staying at home ;• or. in the event of their having been driven to Somaliland hv an irresistible need to assi-i. the Ethiopian slave dealers, they should have seen that, in accord with international law, their tents were placed at a certain distance from the troops nnd militarv buildings. This observation, however, is also superfluous. because the bloody episode

has apparently been reduced to two v ounded. “We do not think ikat pngs should have been flown at half-mast in Swedish towns lor this at a time when much more serious acts of atrocity dishonored tlie Ethiopians; the . useless and inhmmrti murder of Pilot* Minni’ti. v Wo esteem the’Swedish people too highly to think that the spectacle of. the noble head of a young man carried triumphantly through the streets of Harar would not have produced at Stockholm a far deeper indignation than the casual wounding of a few medical officers dire to an ordinary incident of war. Rut, naturally, the truth is kept from the Swedish people.

victory at All Costs. “In the long run, the host way of reacting against these falsifications bos in immediately giving a sterner character to our methods oT war. Against savages war must lie waged without quarter. Fortunately both science and technique offer the necessary means to the civilised peoples, without which the triumph of barbarities would ho too certain in this world.

“The Italian nation expected this just and terrible reply to Ethiopian cowardice—a reply that, would also strike at the Auglo-Bolshevist and slave-dealing press of Europe, which had denounced imaginary acts of cruelty by the* Italians before the latter bad employed harsh methods of war. Wo must reply with the most studied contempt to the criticisms, denunciations, and protests of the palters of international social-freemason-ry, hut we must at the same time replv with the most effective and the harshest moans of destruction, none excluded, to the brutal systems of our African enemies. Excluding none, because there is no longer any reason for any such exclusion or limitations cither on military, diplomatic or humanitarian grounds. “Wo must win the war as soon as possible. Only our victory will in. - reality bring to the heart of Ethiopia hospitals and comfort, liberty and law. hygiene and order, and a whole new way of conceiving peace and war, burying forever that hateful and dishonorable remnant of bloodt African medievalism.”