KING OF ETHIOPIA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17407, 4 November 1930, Page 5

KING OF ETHIOPIA

CORONATION CEREMONY VAST THRONG ATTENDS LONDON, Nov. 2. A message from Addis Ababa s.lates that the Emperor, Has Tafari, was crowned in the presence of a vast throng in tin* .specially-built eaihodiat of St. George, the walls of which were not carried to the roof, in order that thousands of tribesmen outside might witness the ceremony. The festival culminates in seven davs’ feasting, during v'i -h 'lie ve t

army will be fed in relays. The priests and popuia.iou will oe.similar

iv entertained with .food and wim made from honey.

‘ ‘ BLACK NAPOLEON' ’ SENSATIONAL RISE TO POWER The Emperor of Ethiopia, is a. black mail who lias mastered the white mans magic. The story of this “black NapoleonV rise to power is more astounding than any African adventure novel. It. tells of a black empress' as cunning and as ruthless in her dealings witii men. as Cleopatra, of two great, armies meeting with spears, of the sudden appearance in the sky of airplanes spattering death with modern machine-guns. "1 a tank ploughing its way through the doorway of the palace of the. empress, and out of the chaos, emerging the directing genius Has Tafari. An Old Testament battle story completed with twentieth century machines.

Fourteen years ago revolution had swept Abyssinia, the Emperor Lij Yaser was in the hands of the rebels, and a ruthless woman had seized the throne. Zauditu was the daughter of a former emperor. Site had been married four times. When the throne came into her hands she divorced her fourth husband. Has Guksa. because he was not of royal blood.

Kthiopia had tin desire for :t queen Some one had to ho appointed regent. Here, the black Napoleon appeared. Jins Talari was the nephew of this woman, fie went about, among the chiefs and had himself proposed, lie. was elected regent. Mas Talari quietly consolidated his power. The chiefs came to look on him as a brilliant man. In October. 1928. be. made a dramatic bid for the throne. The empress realised the strength behind Mas Talari and, fearing another revolution, decided to compromise. Mas Tafati was given a province of Kthiopia. lie was made King of Shna. WILD TRIBESMEN The Kmpress /auditu began negotiations with her divorced husb.mil. Site persuaded It us tluksa to go into the mountains and raise, an army. There were wild tribesmen willing to light. As soon as the army was raised, lie was to march on the capital.

Mas Guksu raised an army of tierce lighters and began his march on the capital. He sent, runners to Mas Talari with an ultimatum that the black Napoleon must give up his throne. Mas Talari laughed at this insult, and sent his minister of war, Molla Chela, into the. held with an army of 2.0,001) men. The two armies met about- 70 miles east of Lake Tsana. On April 1 they advanced against each other.

.Miles away, in the. capital, Mas Talari had planned a decisive coup. The black Napoleon intended to make certain of victory. The sweating and dying warriors on the plains of Abyssinia heard a queer, droning sound in the sky. They looked up. Winging towards them were three airplanes. The chief pilot was a Krem liman, Andre Alai 1 lot, whom the black Napoleon luid paid to organise an air loive. The other pilots were, natives. I hey swooped down. The I'Yemh pilot landed. The. enemy was in lull ret real. A black observer leaped from the airplane and went over to where the body of Mas tluksa. lay. Jn a moment he reappeared, carrying the rebel leader’s severed head. .Nonchalantly he tossed it into llie cockpit. A oiiiiiieiit later they were Hying back towards the capital. There Mas Talari awaited them. Twenty-four hours later the news came that the empress, was dead. She had died of pneumonia. Mas Tafari is now unchallenged King of Kthiopia.