ABYSSINIAN AFFRAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18579, 13 December 1934, Page 5

ABYSSINIAN AFFRAY

AN ITALIAN ACCOUNT UNWARRANTED ATTACK (Pur Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Italian Consul in Wellington lias received from the Italian Consul-General ill Sydney an official account of an incident on the Abyssinian frontier, which was referred" to in the cable messages la.st week. The account states that it was utterly untrue that the attack was commenced by Italian troops. Events developed as follow's: At 5 p.m. on December 5, an Italian outpost at Ualual was suddenly attacked by about a thousand armed Abyssipians, supported by machine guns and a field gun. The large forces attacking caused a slight retreat of the Italian line, but the dubata (Italian Somali guards) gallantly held out on new positions until reinforcements arrived from neighboring outposts, and then routed the attackers, who fled, leaving on the field large quantities of arms and materials. The line originally occupied by the dubats was thus retaken.

The joint Anglo-Abyssinian commission had effectively arrived at the Italian outpost of Ualual on November 24 last, that is, 12 days before the attack, and after making contact with the Italian command had left the zone. In view of the very large number of attackers, it is unthinkable that these could have been the commission’s armed escort.

The Italian Government has lodged a protest at Addis Ababa, demanding reparations to which it is entitled, in virtue of international custom, for the unwarranted Abyssinian attack, which, it is presumed, was due to the initiative of some local chief.

110 NATIVES KILLED (JSlec.'Tel. Copyright— United Press Asan.) (Received Dec. 13, 11 a.m.) ROME, Dec. 12. An official communique states that 110 Abissinians were killed at Ualual. The Italian casualties are not mentioned.