A DIFFICULT TASK.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 306, 25 November 1937, Page 10

A DIFFICULT TASK.

Equipped with thirteen years’ experience of colonial warfare and administration in Cyrenaica, one of the two Italian provinces of Libya, Marshal Graziani was given the task by Signor Mussolini of governing Abyssinia. He has found it a most difficult one and is shortly to return to Italy. Recent reports from that land of desperate Italian adventure indicate the practically insurmountable work that confronts the Administration. Some months ago a native insurrection in Addis Ababa almost cost the life of Marshal Graziani. He- had the good fortune to escape where others were either severely injured or killed. Since then there have been revolts at Adowa and Makale, and at certain points along the Addis Ababa-Massawa Road. Not only have the natives abandoned their lands, bringing agriculture to a standstill, but the Italian morale is also declared to be low. The “iron Fascist discipline” wliicli Signor Mussolini ordered his Administrator to employ has been extended to commercial activities, with resultant further discord. The Duce’s dream of a rich African Empire has still to come true and in Italy itself huge taxation, capital levies and restrictions on imports are being employed to meet the costs of the campaign as well as internal administration and armaments charges. Yet no one was better qualified than Marshal Graziani to govern Abyssinia and bring prosperity from chaos. He had left Cyrenaica in 1934 at peace for the first time since the outbreak of war between Italy and Turkey in 1911. Subjugation w r as a long and costly affair, and in all its phases Marshal Graziani played a distinguished part. It dates from the rise of the Fascist Government, and after conquering inland places and oases he turned his attention to Cyrenaica where in two operations, in spite of criticism at home, he had constructed a barbed wire entanglement along 200 miles of the frontier dividing Egypt and Cyrenaica, and had removed 80,000 nomads of the interior with their 600,000 head of stock to the coast to be kept under Italian supervision. The first expedient made it very difficult for the rebels to cross into neutral territory to obtain money and munitions from their Egyptian sympathisers; the second deprived them of supplies and recruits from other tribes. Both were successful and the war was brought to an end. Marshal Graziani then turned his attention to paving the way for Italian colonisation and his vicegovernorship was noteworthy for its achievements. That Libya promises so' much after so many disappointments is largely due to the ability of the stern soldier who lias been honoured by his Government, a commentator has observed. But Abyssinia, it would seem, has not provided the same fertile field for similar spectacular achievements, and Italy is far from: establishing her rule there in spite of huge expeditures and the sacrifice of lives.