RULE IN ABYSSINIA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 71, 23 February 1937, Page 7

RULE IN ABYSSINIA

THE ITALIAN AIM. CORRESPONDENT’S VIEW. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Feb. 22. A first-hand account of tlie various phases of the Italian campaign in Abyssinia was given by Mr J. S. Barnes, who served as war correspondent for Reuters in Abyssinia practically for the duration of the war. Mr Barnes is in Auckland at present, having just completed a holiday visit to New Zealand. Life in Abyssinia was extremely hard for the greater part of the time, Mr Barnes said, but for all that one had the feeling of taking part in a momentous undertaking. Even though the military opposition against the Italians was not great, the transport of the armies across a trackless desert in terrific heat, and across mountainous country without roads, was a triqmpli of military organisation. There was another point, too —whether or not one approved of the aims and objectives underlying the Italian adventure—one could not help being struck by the spirit of almost mystic fervour which inspired the Italian troops. This was one of the great factors in the campaign. Mr Barnes’s regular post with Reuters is as agent with the Indian Government. His knowledge of Italy and his ability to speak Italian caused him to be transferred to Abyssinia at the outbreak of hostilities, and he arrived on the northern front in October, 1935, when the Italian forces were commanded by General de Bono. A month later, after the taking of Makale, Mr Barnes was transferred to the Somaliland front, where the Italian advance was being directed by Marshal Graziani. He remained there until June of last year. Discussing the events which led up to Italy’s hid for annexation, Mr Barnes said Mussolini originally would probably have been prepared to accept a mandate over Abyssinia, but, faced with the somewhat equivocal attitude of the League of Nations, he determined on direct action. At that time the growing militarisation of Abyssinia constituted a menace to Italian interests in Eritrea and Somaliland, and added to this was the economic argument of Italy’s need of room for expansion. “If it had not been for the mechanisation of the Italian army,” Mr Barnes continued, “the Abyssinian campaign could never have succeeded. Mechanised transport and the use of aeroplanes were the deciding factors, and if the Abvssinians had possessed a respectable air force, conquest would have been impossible in so short a time.” i

The possible trend of future developments in Abyssinia was also discussed by Mr Barnes, who stated that Italy was now more or less a controlled country and faced only with the task of consolidating her position. She had conquered the real Abyssinians, who had a certain sense of proud independence, and now had the much easier task of dealing with subject tribes, which were not Abyssinians and which actually hated the Abyssinians. He was not prepared to say whether they welcomed Italian penetration, but they obviously preferred Italian rule to Abyssinian, which was of the most barbarous form imaginable.

The system of colonising which Italy proposed to adopt, Mr Barnes continued, was on the basis of subsistence farming rather than capitalistic exploitation. Traditional ■ farming m Italy was mixed farming, and large areas in Abyssinia—were ideally suited for this purpose. Men of military age, mostly married with young families, would go out as volunteers. They would be formed into brigades and paid military wages while they colonised particular areas on a co-operative system. Breaking in the land as small farms surrounding a co-operative centre, at the same time they would police the areas which they were breaking m. When the land was ready for production the families qf the men would arrive, and tlie Italian system -of fauning would proceed. ~ “The Italian conception of iarnung, Mr Barnes said, “is roughly that a family should be able to support itself on half the goods produced from its land, paying the other half instead ot Capitalistic forms of colonisation might be undertaken through the granting of concessions, Mr Barnes added There would be certain individual risks, but in all probability compensating forms of protection offered by the State. Mining development in Abyssinia would probably be under Government control.