ITALY AND ETHIOPIA

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 60, Issue 4232, 17 January 1940, Page 8

ITALY AND ETHIOPIA

MAKING A NEW EMPIRE BARON QUARANTA’S NEW BOOK Ethiopia, or Abyssinia, as we used to call it, has dropped out of the news. Higher drama claims the wiorltj’s attention. Yet, the progress made by Italy in establishing her new empire cannot be altogether ignored, for it must be taken into account when the cdlonial question is again reviewed. As a contribution to the assessment of that progress Count F'erdinando Quaranta’s new book, “Ethiopia, An Empire in the Making,” with a long foreword by Right Hon. Lord Hailey, G.C.5.1., G.C.M.G., is to be welcomed. Baron Quaranta is attached to the study section of the Ministry of Italian Africa,-and puts his case with clearness and a sense of restraint which will be appreciated by Australian .and New) Zealand readers. , Our author was prompted to write his (hook by a message which his father received from Mussolini in, 1934, in which the Duce said: “The task of promoting reciprocal under- ‘ standing between the English and iths Italian people is of great importance; and (those who, like yourself, pursue this abject are entitled to the sincerest encouragement and to ,th|e most fervent wishes.” Though a small matter,' it is significant that the local spelling of place names— Abera instead of Ababa.—both in the text and the maps used, has been adopted on the basis of the recommendations this: year of the Royal Geographical Society of London. The Baron is not concerned with politics; his mission is to describe the . civil administration of Ethiopia and to commend to English readers the truly remarkable achievements of the past three years. THE ADMINISTRATION Abyssinia (Ethiopia) is now part of a colonial federation, consisting of two earlier qolonies’ and: the four (tcilritories inhaEllted by the tribes of Scioa, Amara, Galla-Sidama and Harar. In each of the territories a self-contained provincial government has been set up. The two former' colonies of Eritrea and Somalia have been thrown into the federation, to which has been given the name of Africa Oricntale Italians.. Over the naw empire is a Governor-General, who resides at A'ddis Abera, and has the assistance of six provincial governors, each of whom has an executive council and staffs drawn from the Ministry of Italian Africa.

At first the bulk of these officers were draiwn from the Italian army, but to-day most of the ’ executive posts are being gradually filled by members of the Colonial Administrative service. The Goveynor-Gen-loral and Viceroy of Ethiopia, the Duk. d’Aosta, is a general of the Utallian air force; so is his deputy, Lieutenant-Governor-General His Excellency G. Nasi,, but four of the provincial governors are civilians. The Ministry of Italian Africa, instead of being staffed, as in England, by members of the main civil service centred in London, is staffed by: members of the Colonial Administrative and Colonial Technical Services, all of whom periodically alternate terms of service abroad with terms at home. Most, but not all, of the staffs are recruited by competitive examination, the successful candidates subsequently taking courses in native languages: and colonial history and administrative science.

Whatever be the position in the wilder! part of Ethiopia., the administrative system sketched above is firmly entrenched in the towns and at the capital, Ad'dis Abejba. No less than £2,000,06'0 is being spent on the Government offices and the viceregal 'residence alt th,e capital, and similar sums for offices, barralcks, residences, &c.„ in the six territories. In October, 1936, the Italian population of Addis Abeba totalled 550; the latest figures reveal the presence of 26,458 men, 3770 women —a total of 30»228 Italians. Over 2375 foreigners are resident in the city. The combined white population of all territories exceeds 130,000.

Within twenty-four months r.o fewer than 2027 miles Of fully metalled and another 841 of partially metalled roads have been completed. Much of the construction has been' undertaken in very difficult terrain. It involved the use of, at peak periods, no fewer than 60)007 Italian, workmen. In May, 1939, the European labour force was reduced to 1'2,000, and the local native workmen reached by stages a total cf 52,000. The cost per mile of the roads was £12,000. The, army of road makers was cared far by a. istrong civil medical staff, aided, by a well-equipped laboratory at Addis Abeba.

A grant from the Italian Governmeiit of £133,00’1; OjftO (12,000,000,000 Italian lire) for the first instalments of a gigantic programme is being

speftt judiciously, only £5,500,000 being for military works. EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT Baipn Quaranta has an interesting section devoted to the remarkable experiment in the settlement of Ethiopian land of white settlers. The experiment has been guided to .seme extent by the experience gained in Libya, where 1900 peasant families have recently been settled, ,but the task in Ethiopia differs from that of the older Italian colony in a few important: details. The Italian Association of Ex-Ser-vice Men (Opera Nazionale Combattenti) —known a la America as the “O.N.C.’’—had the privilege of being the first in Ethiopia to give effect, on an area of 29,653 acres of fertile Government land, to schemes devised, by agricultural advisers. Some 103 ex-service men had down to May, 1939, settled on peasant holdings in the highlands. A third class of white colonists is composed of Itailian Harmers, ( for whom the Farmers’ Association has been permitted to lease larger areas than those allotted to the “0.N.C..” and share-holding groups. Finally, there are about 300 small private ventures in market gardening and intense cultures. Gpld! mining is on the up grade. The details given by Baron Quaranta of the, preparatory work for all types of experiment are deeply interesting. The housing and drainage provision alone must have cost an enormous sum. All settlers are organised on a semi-military basis. THE RELIGIOUS POLICY The attitude of the Italian administration to the religious bodies ini Ethiopia is frankly discussed by Baron Quaranta. Toleration is promised—“complete religious toleration” are the words used—to ‘‘all loyal subjects.” This means mere than appears on the surface, for it means protection against rival dominant fanatics; “The farmer ruling cast of the Amara, ior Coptic religion, who inhabit the Scidd and tne Lake Tana district, are, naturally enough, no longer allowed to raid the Moslem or heathen Galla tillers lof the soil, nor to traffic in slaves.” This caste may not plunder their neighbours, but its members still have their own chiefs, their own klws and tribunals, and can appeal Ito Italian authorities or courts to settle major disputes. An accurate and complete land register is in ciovirse of compilation- The spirit Cif the administration is represented as approximating the ethical aim of British administrators of native territory, though the insistence that natives be “loyal” to Italy is a little more pronounced than appears essential. Baron Quaranta puts the position, quite fairly, thus:— “(Although Italy does not regard herself as a divinely appointed trustee far the evolution of the indigenous populations, she has the welfare of the natives at heart, and is anxious to help them to improve along their own lines. It is sought to make them good: Africans rather than bad Europeans. This is especially evident in Ethiopia, where the Italian Government repairs and builds mosques and Coptic churches, erects, new hospitals and schools, and promotes native lore and tradition.” Separate elementary schools for the Coptic Christians, the Moslems a,nd (the Gallia are being instituted. In Moslem schools the pupils learn Arabic) and read the Koran. The .position .of the Italian GovernorGeneral and his advisers towards resident representatives of foreign, missions is not even mentioned. Apparently they are tacitly verbotten. Nothing is revealed by the baron as to the progress made in the pacification of the country. The evidence is still conflict’ng. In any case it seems clear th,at wherever Mussolini’s writ does run, a marvellous and enlightened experiment 'in colonisation is being tried out with all the resources of a nation determined to win the allegiance of both natives and whites. The eventual cost and the final system of taxation ta make Ethiopia financially self-sufficient are still in the lap of the gods.