SELASSIE’S EXIT

Grey River Argus, 5 May 1936, Page 5

SELASSIE’S EXIT

Arrival at French Port “ABANDONED BY HIS PEOPLE’’ LONDON, Alay 3. Selassie and tho Empress’s entourage included Ras Desta and Rao Kassa, the Foreign Alinister, Herouy, and his wife. They are accommodated at the Governor’s Palace, at Djibouti. They did not board the Diana, ■which has no connection with the Emperor’s flight. A French oflicial declared. “His Alajcsty will be treated with -the respect due to a- monarch in distress. He will be allowed full liberty to embark on anv ship he wishes.” Selassie has not abdicated, but ha-nd ed ovi>r the Government to Alinisters Th,- Abyssinian Legation in London corroborates this.

Captain Brophil declares that more will be heard of the Emperor. M. Bayda says that before Selassiedeparted, he rejected a direct Italian offer to negotiate peace, and adds: “His people abandoned him. He has -not abandoned them.’’ Selassie’s future movements, now ho is in French territory, depend partly on his own wishes, and partly on the decision of Prance, which is consulting Britain on the subject. Ho is selling his house at Vcvey. Switzerland. but he owns an excellent house at Prince’s Gate, London, near the Ethiopian Legation. SELASSIE TOLD TO GO. LONDON. May -L A Paris message says that Haile Selassie wanted to go on fighting, at

all costs, in which the Empress encouraged him, but. liis advisers, preferring to end the war, begged him to depart.

French in Trouble AT ADDIS ABABA. ITALIAN AID REQUESTED. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, May 3. M. Bodart, the French Minister at Addis Ababa, commands an inadequate force of forty Askaris, with rifles and a few machine-guns, supported by picked refugees of sixteen nationalities, armed with rifles and grenades. AL Flandin reported M. Bodart’s plight to Signor Mussolini who replied that the Italian troops were orderer! to press on to Addis Ababa as speedily as possible. Twenty Frenchmen barricaded themselves near the station, defying the mobs, while bandits and soldiers sniped at one another, and fought hand-to-hand. M. Bodart is confident that independent chiefs will continue guerilla warfare.

The Abyssinian radio is silent. Patrols made sorties from the Legation, and rescued 300 Europeans. The garrison cleared the garden, for an aeroplane landing ground. AL Bodart reports that there arc ample provisions, food and water. The women and ehilden remain in underground refuges. PARIS May 3. The French Minister at Addis Ababa telegraphed to M. Flandin asking for help. He says that the Legation is menaced. Its inhabitants number 120t>. including Italian prisoners of war. who were sent to the Legation for safety when the Emperor left. This enraged the Abyssin'ans. who fired thousands of shots at th" compound walls, killing two Armenian refugees. FRENCH TROOPS. TO GO TO CAPITAL. DJIBOUTI. May 4The French Somaliland authorities have decided to despatch two companies of Sengalese troops to Addis Ababa Lu clear 'll,, railway. U.S.A. Legation

(Received M'av 4. 9.25 p.m.) ADDIS ABABA, Abay 3. Mr Engert (U.S.A. Minister) has informed the American Stale Department that, twelve persons, including all -women and children, excepting AIr s ’Engert, have been removed from the American Legation to the British Legation for-greater safety. Consul Gill had. delegated fifteen Sikhs to protect' the parity, and left a lorry, should the remaining Americans be forced to evacuate.. Air Engert said that (his staff werej equipped with aine rifles two shotguns, ten revolvers,“and a fair amount' of ammunition. They felt that they could protect the Legation unless the Abyssinian mob attempted a direct assault. The Department, revealed that the Shading were naturalised Americans of Swedish birth. The Italian Advance LONDON, Al ay 3. The main Italian column is 30 miles distant. Its motor vehicles are hampered by bad roads, but the Askaris advance* guards tire in sight of the, city, though they may await the ceremonial entry of the victors. TII-- advance guard I ravels on lhe road taken by the Duke- of Gloucester when amid rejoicings he visited Addis Ababa tor Selassie's Coronation in 1930. The Askaris must past the British Leg.'tt’on four miles from flic city, in Avhii-li are JOOO refugees, including Abiina., I In- chief Coptic Bishop. These are under (he supervision of Sir G. Barton, and are watched over by' a Sikh guard, under the protection of the Union Jack. Large Italian Force FEW MILES FROM CAPITAL. (Received Alay 4. 7-45 p.m.) ROAIE> Alay 4. The newspaper's state tha-t General Birol-i’s colujnn, comprising fifteen thousand Askaris,. have ,occupied hills that are only seven miles outside of Addis Abia-ba ABYSSINjIANS AT LONDON. LONDON, May 3. Air. C. Martin, the Abyssinian Alinister. in Great Britain, anxiously awaits news of his sons, Benjamin and Joseph, who joined Haile Selassie’s forces. The inmates of the London Legation include Air. Martin’s other children, and his grand-nephew. Abata Emanuel, who father was killed, in the Avar, and Avhosc mother and sister are at Addis Ababa. Abata, dressed in a European collar, was escorting a journalist to the secretary’s room and was asked whether (he other children were his brothers. “No man is my brother,” was the startling reply. LITTLE CHANCE OF FURTHER CAMPAIGN. LONDON. May 3. It was expected in Cairo that Haile Selassie would continue the struggle in western Shoa, after sending the Empress -t'o Jerusalem, but Sudanese reports state th-alt Hie bandit risings have created havoc, which extend to western -Shoa from Gojam Province, rendering a military campaign impossible . CONTINUANCE OF WAR. ITALIAN ATTITUDE. ROME. May L Signor Virginio Gayda launches the threat that, a frightful world war would follow a decision to close the Suez Canal or otherwise directly' assist Abvssi-nia., He adds: “Though Maly would deplore such a Avar, she would if it were forced on her, face it again with all her might. Italy’s army could increase its strength a hundredfold and ■-mplacably’ attack new enemies in every corner of the world. The countries to pay tho price would be those great empires which stretched their tentacles throughout the world.”

WHAT WILL JAPAN DO 9

TOKIO, Alay 3

Jitpnn, fearling |h:rl lliily may exclude Japanese exports W,orth half a