Substance & Shadow

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 144, 3 June 1936, Page 1

Substance & Shadow

ITALY’S BARGAIN

Problems Confronting Her in Abyssinia ADDRESS IN NAPIER “Italy may have thrown away the bone of the friendship of Europe and grasped at the shadow of a colonial empire, and, in doing so, made a bad bargain,” said the Rev. D. N. McDiarmid in addressing the Napier Round Table Club yesterday upon the subject of Abyssinia, “We may be glad if she brings good to the country and improves conditions there, but I do not see any indication at the present time that Italy will be able to carry out the great work she is about to attempt.”

The speaker said that everyone was surprised at the expeditious manner in which Italy had carried out a task in which she was expected to fail, the conquest in one dry season of rugged Abyssinia. Africa was one of the oldest continents of the world, and the rivers of -the continent had cut the mountains in many places into terrible chasms and' ravines. This was especially the case in Abyssinia. The great difficulty of the country, said Mr McDiarmid, was transport. Mules and the magnificent white Abyssinian donkeys were the only means by which travelling could be accomplished in most of the country, nnd manypeople thought that because of the difficulty in transport Italy could never conquer the independent inhabitants of the Abyssinian mountains. People of all races, therefore, whatever their opinions of Italy’s moral action, could not forbear giving a very great deal of credit to Italy for her marvellous feat of arms. TWO FACTORS OF VICTORY. Two factors had brought about the Italian victory, Mr McDiarmid considered. The first, which was obvious to all, was that the European aggressors were equipped with the latest in mechanical weapons, and the field guns, aeroplanes, bombs and poison gas, all strange to the Abyssinians, had brought fear, which was a large factor in their defeat.

The second was not so obvious, but a little experience of the country and its inhabitans confirmed the opinion that the many sections and sects were disunited, and could not co-operate. The first of the factors of disunity was explained by the very name, Abyssinia. This was an angliscised version of the Arabic word Abashi, meaning “mixed”. This applied to the population of the country', which was composed of three main types. The ancient, or original, inhabitants were negroid and although there was a mystery concerning their origin they were the oldest of the races that at present inhabited the country. They were divided into many tribes and furthermore into varying religious. Among those peoples superstition had run riot and gone mad. They were entirely ignorant. A LATER INVASION. The second group came from a later invasion, yet still in the dark ages. They were of a Hamitic race, and generally recognised as white people. While some had intermarried with the negroid inhabitants there were still a great persentage who retained their identity. The Copts of Egypt, who were also as white as was possible in a tropical country, were of the same type. The Hamitic races in Abyssinia were the rulers of the country, and great numbers of them were Christian. A still later invasion brought the Semitic or Arab population, brown in colour. They, of course, were Mohammedan in faith.

There had been age-long enmity between the sections of the country, especially between Christian and Moslem. As one or the other gained supremacy in government, the other was cruelly persecuted, and such persecution, especially on the part of the Mohameddans, had continued to the present time. The Christian faith in Abyssinia had degenerated and decayed during the last century, and was now in a bad state, but its followers still clung to it, and any change in religion or denial of faith was looked upon with extreme disfavour. Christians were identified by a small cross tottooed on the inside of each wrist.

The Abyssinians, therefore, were disanited against a united and enthusiastic enemy. They had not the mental stability to fight a European army, and were easily discouraged by losses in the big battles in which they foolishly engaged. SLAVERY. The Emperor, who was a cultured man, had also aggravated the position by his well-meant attempts to put down clavery. The suppression of slavery was also one of the intentions of the Italian conquerors, but Mr McDiarmid doubted whether the task could be accomplished before the lapse of many years. Slavery in Abyssinia was not the terrible thing that people had been taught to believe. It was more of a domestic slavery, whore the slaves worked for their masters and were part of a tribe, receiving fho same food as their overlords. They were quite happy. Slavery was inextricably linked with the faith of Islam, and the, Moslem people would fight bard to retain slavery, which was taught by their religion By trying to abolish this, Haiti Sellassie had aroused bitter feeling. with the result that many of the people were not prepared to fight for him when the time came. IGNORANT PEOPLE. Italy had also to reckon with the colossal ignorance of the native population. Mr McDiarmid stated that be had heard front missionaries that many of the inhabitants were not awnre that there had been a war with Italy. Such an ignorance, which was a common feature of the native population of the whole of Africa, could not he ilollneil Tribes were separated by

geographical and language Harriers, ano so prevented from knowing anything of the outside world. Their total ignorance prevented them from comprehending any of the news they did hear. Italy had a huge task before her. nnd although the wrong she had ap parently done would soon be forgotten if she bettered the condition of Abyssinia, it was not expected that she would meet with any great success. The worth of Abyssinia ns a colonial possession hn<l been greatly over-esti-mated.