GRAVE STEPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22225, 27 September 1935, Page 11

GRAVE STEPS

AFRICAN CRISIS

WARLIKE preparations

KOBE ITALIAN TROOPS

ETHIOPIA MOBILISING

FORCES FOR FRONTIERS

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received September 26. 0.15 s>.m.) LONDON. Sept. 2fi The Daily Mail's Rome correspondent states that 10 ships carrying POOO troops are to sail from Naples for East Africa to-day. The Addis Ababa correspondent Of the Times says general mobilisahas been ordered in frontier diswith mobilisation, A bvs- s ;inians. directed by formal Lineers, are feverishly constructing defences on the Jibouti railway and L+ifvinc the mountainous approaches to the line in order to prevent the successful junction of Italian forces attacking from the north and south to Harrar are closed, evnu tho British Consul being refused passage. Troops are being moved, to in modern motor-lorries. In ji cablegram to the League ot Nations the Ethiopian Government re reals the movements of 500,000 troops and says they have been sent to the frontiers purely as a defensive measure.

Discussing the possibility of war between Italy and Abyssinia, a London recently ''aid:-Four hundred Italian high-speed fighting aei °" planes, equipped with the latest dea, '| l " dealing instruments, are ready to swoop on Abyssinia. \N hen bignor Mussolini gives the order this huge a.r fleet will spray death from the sky on ft whole UtltlOD. . | -J Unless a speedy settlement is reached the nations of the world may see m a few weeks a rehearsal of all the horrors of modern warfare. Poison gas;, death rays liquid firo and many other horrors will be lot. loose to exterminate millions of people. This was revealed when Italy's plan of campaign was disclosed. While Signor Mu&solmi now has nearly 1,000,000 men under arms, following the mobilisation or anothei 72,000 troops, he is relying for success on his air arm in the event of a clash with Abyssinia. . . \t the opening of the campaign, it is understood to be Signor Mussolini s intention to overwhelm Abyssinia with a massed air attack. There are to be 400 military aeroplanes in the Italian East African colonies by the time military operations are to begirt. Ihe plan of campaign, it is understood, is to use tear gas to begin with, which will be distributed wholesale from invading aeroplanes. If the Italian military authorities are pushed to will dsg poison gas—chlorine mustard But they are anxious to avpid this, in view of world opinion and l'or humane reasons. _ in any case, the Italian troops are an Y>eing provided as a matter of course with a specially designed light gas ni as ' s suitable for the topics,; and .the A by* •inian armed forces for the first tune will be faced by a modernised army, every soldier of which will be wearing a sinister-looking gas mask. Meanwhile. fifty of it new type of high-speed aeroplanes have been turned out of the Fiat works, and are being used for practice by hundreds of young pilot officers who are undergoing a course of intensive training with these special machines in Sicily. ' These aeroplanes are two-motored Fiachinea capable of a speed oi nearly 300 miles an hour and of carrying 500 21b. bombs of either tear gas, poison gas, smoke screen or a special s;hrapnel bomb which can be dropped from a height with deadly effect. It is understood that an order for more than 200 of these special machines has been given. In Sicily are concentrated officers who are specialists in chemical warfare, and they are practising on the mountainous island the methods they expect to employ in the mountains of Abyssinia.

KENYA FRONTIER BRITISH AIR PATROL IN CASE OF HOSTILITIES (Received September 26. 5.45 p.m.) times Cable LONDON. Sept. 25 The Times correspondent at Nairobi, Kenya, says five Fairey day bombers »nd four Vickers transport bombers trrived there this afternoon. They will co-operate in patrolling the northern frontier, which divides the colony from Abyssinia, where, in the event of war, the Government is anxious to avoid clashes between nomadic tribes and fefugeea seeking the scanty water boles. AVOIDING SUEZ BRITISH SHIPPING LINES HIGH INSURANCE RATES

'Received September 26. 5.15 p.m.)

LONDON, Sept. 25

The Prince Line and the Silver Line have decided to divert their vessels from the Suez to the Cape route owing to the high insurance and the possibility of delays. . The P. and 0. Company has notified passengers that its vessels may sail Cape without notice.

The Prince Line. Limited, owns a vessels ranging in size from •10,1)00 tons to ,'JOOO tons. Four of the ® hl .P3, the Northern Prince. Kastern prince, Soithern Prince and Western Jtrmce aie moc ] crn motor-ships of I0,i)f)0 tons. The Silver Line. jWnuteri, owned bv Stanlev and John Jnompson, Limited, has a fleet of 19 motor-ships of an average tonnage of about 60()f) ABYSSINIA'S FEAR INEVITABILITY OF WAR NEW APPEAL TO LEAGUE LONDON. Sopt. 2f> Abyssinia now is -convinced of the Inevitability of war. although she is determined that she will not fire the first shot. She has requested the League «> despatch immediately by air the sug|gest"il international commission to dewrniine which side commences the ?threatened hostilities The Emperor offers to meet the commissioners' expenses in flying from ' ll rope, and promises them his full cooperation.