PERILS OF WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22725, 11 May 1937, Page 13

PERILS OF WAR

TRAGIC EXPERIENCES

WORK IN ABYSSINIA NEW ZEALAND MISSIONARIES TWO RETURN ON FURLOUGH The perils and hardships to which missionaries in Abyssinia were subjected during the war with Italy have been fully experienced by two New Zealand women who arrived from Sydney by the Awatea yesterday on furlough from their work with the Sudan Interior Mission. One missionary, Mrs. M. E. Mitchell, has tragic memories of the country, for her husband was killed by Arussi Galla tribesmen while trying to reach Addis Ababa. The other, Miss M. A. McMillan, also has harrowing experiences to recall, for she and another New Zealander, Miss Freda Horn, were attacked and beaten by bandits, and only reached Addis Ababa through the assistance of a friendly Christian native. Both missionaries were willing to talk yesterday of their experiences during the war, but they were loath to comment upon the present Italian administration, and would say nothing of the massacres that took place in Addis Ababa after the attempt on the life of the Viceroy, Marshal liudolfo Graziani, although they were only a few miles away from the city-'at the time. Over Five Years in Abyssinia "As long as there are any Protestant missionaries in the country we have to be very careful," said Miss McMillan. "I'm afraid that is one thing we can't give information about," she added, when asked about the massacre. "It was very terrible." Miss McMillan, who is returning to her home in Dunedin, attended the New Zealand Bible Training Institute in Auckland, and has been in Abyssinia for five and a-half years. She left Addis Ababa early last month, having been stationed at the mission headquarters about two and a-half miles from the city. Before the war started, she was stationed at Marako, in the Gurage province, which is four days south of the capital. "Things went on peacefully for us at first," said Miss McMillan. "The people round about had known for some years that we were British, and, as everybody had the greatest admiration for the British people, we were in a good position when hostilities started. But when you consider the size of the province, it is no wonder that difficulty and suspicion existed." Home Looted by Bandits * Miss McMillan said that she and Miss Horn remained on the station after the other missionaries had left on furlough. The field director of the mission, Dr. T. A. Lambie, asked if they would like to go into the capital, but they felt it was quite safe to stay on at Marako. "We were very sorry that it got through," said Miss McMillan, referring to the cablegrams from Addis Ababa describing how she and Miss Horn had been rescued by Italian soldiers. She said the reports were incorrect. "We have always had a brigand element in our province, and they tried to hold the country more or less in thrall," she continued. "They never dared to go near the homes of white people, but I suppose they had long cast envious eyes on our meagre belongings. When the news came that the Emperor had flown, they raided all the customs houses, and released about 400 prisoners who were reputed to be murderers. They came to our place on the next night and looted it very thoroughly. We were beaten and bruised, and knocked about a bit, for they wanted money, which we did not have." Rescue by Christian Native Miss McMillan said they were rescued on the next day by a Christian native, who took them to his home, where they stayed for a month. As there were inter-tribal wars going on, and the brigands said they would not let the missionaries go for fear that they would inform the Italians, they were in a good deal of peril during that month. /Finally the Christian native- arranged with his friends to get them through to Addis Ababa. They were given an escort of 30 men armed with a machinegun and spears and rifles, and although the roads were very perilous—whole caravans having been attacked and slaughtered —they reached the capital safely.

The story of her husband's death at the hands of tribesmen in the Kasse Desert was told by Mrs. Mitchell, who is on her way back v to Invercargill with her baby son. She was formerly Miss Myrtle E. Jenkins, and was married by the British Consul in Addis Ababa to Mr. George Clifford Mitchell, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Mitchell, of Blockhouse Bay. Mrs. Mitchell said that after she and other missionaries went to Addis Ababa, her husband returned south to the Sidamo province with Red Cross supplies. "When the Italian army was advancing on Addis Ababa from the north my husband"'heard of it through a radio set belonging to a Belgian planter in Sidamo," said Mrs. Mitchell. "He and Mr. Thomas Devers, a Canadian missionary, whose fiancee was in Addis Ababa, "being anxious about our welfare, began the journey to; the capital. Tragic F3te of Party "On the third day out from Yerga Alem, capital of the Sidamo province, they were attacked in the Kasse Desert by a band of 200 or 300 Arussi Galla tribesmen. My husband and his friend and their servants'* were all killed. We believe that some native men did escape, but we never met them. The attack took place on May 9 and I heard, about it at the end of August. Mr. A. Smith, another New Zealand missionary, went south to the Kenya border in July, and sent the news through to the British Legation in Addis Ababa." Although Mrs. Mitchell is officially on furlough, she does not know whether she will be allowed to return to Abyssinia. Tho week before she left eight Church of England missionaries were asked to leave Addis Ababa at the Italian command, and the Swedish missionaries have been put out. "As far as the future of our mission is concerned—we are still working there—• it seeins very indefinite," said Mrs. Mitchell.