UGLY CRUELTY in Abyssinian War

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 112, 24 April 1936, Page 5

UGLY CRUELTY in Abyssinian War

DOCTOR HITS OUT ‘'Makes Me Ashamed To Be British” BETRAYAL OF FAITH THE RED CROSS BOMBING (By Telegraph—Press Aswn.. Copyright.) (Received 24, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. “What I have seen of this ugly •var makes me ashamed to be British,” said Captain Brophil in addressing an Abyssinian Association meeting at the House of Commons. He added: “I realise that I am a member of a wealthy and powerful Empire which is a party to the most shameful betrayal of faith ever perpetrated. If Italy gets away with these atrocities England will indeed have fallen from her high estate.”

Captain Brophil declared that the Italians had been using poison gas since December, when his ambulance had received the first victims. Thousands of Abyssinians, including women and children, could just grope in blindness because their eyes had been put out by the ruthless decree of a dictator of whom they had not heard. Recalling the bombing of the British Ked Cross at Ashangi, Captain Brophi! said: “A reconnoitring plane came over. I waved to the pilot indicating the Red Cross. He waved back. Next day several planes flew over and dropped bombs. One fell among ten women, killed two and wounded eight. The bombing continued for three-quar-ters of an hour. The leading plane had a large number 7 on the fuselage and was locally supposed to be piloted by one of Signor Mussolini’s sons. "After that the planes machinegunned us for 2J hours.

"after consultation with my colleagues I decided to put away the sacred emblem of the Red Cross, which has an uncanny fascination for Italian heroes. We dared not show the Red Cross for three months. Even then we were bombed from 12 to 14 times daily."