ITALIAN FIGURES

Southland Times, Issue 22729, 4 November 1935, Page 6

ITALIAN FIGURES

The Italian statement that since January 1 there have been only 193 Italian deaths in East Africa must be received with caution. Much of the fighting has been done by the native troops and evidently these have not been included in the casualty statements which refer to Italian deaths only. The communique gives no indication of the casualties due to sickness, though there is the evidence that large numbers of Italians invalided from Eritrea and Italian Somaliland have passed through the Suez Canal, and people who are well acquainted with the country are positive that the wastage from sickness must be heavy. In fact some critics of the Italian plan make no secret of the fact that in their opinion the climate is the most serious obstacle confronting the invaders. Dr. Emile Schurmacher writing recently declared:

Mussolini’s powerful armaments will not win a war in Africa. His modern drugs and medicinal preparations, conscientiously used may. Every European army which has invaded Africa in the past has brought disease back with it.

The Romans after the battle of Syracuse, fought in i.orthern Africa, contracted small-pox from the Carthaginians, who had been infected in wars against the Abyssinians, and this scourge was introduced into Europe as a result. Disease caused more casualties among the Spaniards than did bullets from the Riffs. It is inconceivable that the Italian troops despatched to the hot battle zone should be immune and it is, therefore, unwise to accept the Italian casualty figures as embracing all deaths.