WAR ORDER

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1935, Page 5

WAR ORDER

OGADEN ATTACK ABYSSINIANS’ REPLY BOMBING BY ITALIANS USE MADE OF DESERTERS ARMING OF DEFENDERS By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Oct. 15. Following yesterday’s war council Ras Nassibou has ordered a general Abyssinian offensive on the Ogaden front, says the Harrar correspondent of the British United Press. A Djibouti message says that 100,000 Abyssinian warriors passed through Harrar to Ogaden from the fierce Kaffa and Dechima tribes. The Daily Mail’s Brussels correspondent says that General Hawariat, who has been appointed commander-in-chief of the Abyssinian forces, visited the Liege arms factories and is believed to have placed orders. He remarked that the withdrawal of the arms embargo would prevent the Abyssinians marching against tanks armed merely with knives. Ethiopia could resist for 12 to 15 years. “We can wait; I don’t think Italy can,” he said.

The Aksum .correspondent of Lavoro Fascista declares that Ras Seyoum is preparing a counter-attack with the object of recapturing the holy town. Abyssinian attempts to cross the Setit River were heavily repulsed. The Times’ Addis Ababa correspondent says that the Italian air reconnaissance continues, the southermost point reached being Alagai, 62 miles south of Makale, to which the invaders have progressed half-way from the Adowa-Adi-grat line. The left wing is meeting little opposition. The Abyssinian Government is most disturbed at the reports of Gougsa’s surrender. They cannot believe that this young chief of a great house could have played the traitor. LACK OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES. The Daily Mail’s Addis Ababa correspondent says that the northern Abyssinian armies are suffering greatly from lack of medical services. A hundred have died of wounds at Aksum owing to lack of doctors. The British United Press Alexandria correspondent says that Prince Ismail Daoud has left for Addis Ababa with three Egyptian doctors to organise medical aid for Abyssinia. General de Bono took possession of the Adowa region in the name of the King of Italy, says a communique from Rome. Italian aeroplanes bombed an encampment of 300 tents south of Makale and blew up a muntion depot at Belmarian. The British United Press Harrar correspondent says that unexploded 1001 b gas bombs have been brought there from Ogaden. Dr. Vockman, a member of the American Red Cross, reports that Italian aeroplanes are using dumdum bullets. An Asmara message states that 1500 Abyssinians who surrendered will be incorporated in the Sela Division, which is now en route to Eritrea. They are armed with modern Japanese rifles and have 150 machine-guns. Five thousand rifles are reported to have been imported by Abyssinia from British Somaliland after the removal of the arms embargo.

A Rome message says that the Matauro Division from Ancona, of 7000 men, has left for Libya. The Italian forces in Libya now number 50,000.