ATROCITY STORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1935, Page 5

ATROCITY STORIES

WAR-TIME PROPAGANDA POISON GAS USE DENIED AMBULANCE FOR VICTIMS ABYSSINIANS SEE ‘TALKIE’ By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Oct. 23. The Daily Telegraph’s Addis Ababa correspondent interviewed Dr. Hockman, who declared that he had not seen a single case of gas poisoning in Ogaden. He did not believe that the Italians were employing gas, and denied ever saying so. He is shortly to return to his Red Cross station near Jigjiga. Major-General A. C. Temperley explains that atrocity stories are circulated by both sides in all campaigns, and urges a careful investigation before crediting tales of bombing of hospitals, dumdum bullets and mutilations. A Paris message says.that the advance guard of the Swedish Red Cross hospital, under Dr. Price Nylander and Dr. Eric Smith, both of whom arrived by air, passed through Paris to-day en route for Harrar, where they hope to create a field hospital with 100 beds. Dr. Nylander has Rad six years’ experience of medical work in Abyssinia. He has five ambulance cars with material, four doctors and eight male nurses. They will leave Marseilles on October 30. An airman is attached for liaison work and for the transport of supplies. The estimated cost of upkeep of the organisation for three months, £14,000, is already subscribed. HELD IN ABEYANCE. An Asmara message says that military operations are held in abeyance on all fronts. Meanwhile the residents of Adowa have seen their first "talkie.” It was presented in the City Square, in the middle of which a theatre was erected complete with stalls and pit. The more humble citizens standing in the rear were nearly stampeded by the projector, which at first was believed to be a new kind of gun, and they seemed to regard the picture as a performance of Satan, but eventually applauded Italian alpine manoeuvres and cheered King Victor Emanuel and Signor Mussolini after the Italians had given them the cue. They were excited by the Italian march toward Adowa, because they recognised the country, and they were astounded by naval manoeuvres because many hitherto had not seen ships or the

sea. Another startling novelty was the introduction of electric light, thousands gazing fascinated at incandescent bulbs between poles supplied with electricity by a cable from Asmara. The unblinking glare without smoke or flame amazed the spectators. A British airman, Charles French, has completed the round trip from Djibouti to Addis Ababa in a day. He states that the rugged topography is less unfavourable to Italian airmen than he supposed. The mountains consist of scattered peaks, enabling pilots to fly between them, and ' although there were few good landing places forced landings were possible. Addis Ababa, he said, offered a poor target for bombers. Similarly, the mountain slopes showed few signs of habitation and bombing would inflict tittle damage. French had difficulty in taking off at Addis Ababa owing to the rarity of the air. ITALIAN SHIPS BARRED BOYCOTT AMONG INDIANS London, Oct. 23. The Daily Mail’s Bombay correspondent says that Indians are boycotting Italian liners. The 19,000-ton Triestino sailed for Italy yesterday with only 15 passengers, whereas it has accommodation for 350 and is generally fully booked. . The Indian boycott movement is also extending to Italian goods, including C The British tanker British Workman collided with the Italian troopship Belvedere in the Suez Canal. Both were damaged but were able to proceed. DIFFICULT COUNTRY TOUR OF THE TIGRE FRONT SHARPSHOOTERS’ IDEAL Rec. 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 23. Major-General J. F. C. Fuller, a special correspondent of the Daily Mail, after the completion of a motor tour of the Tigre front states that the country is ideal for sharpshooters and machinegunners. It is sometimes suitable for tanks, but owing to the plenitude of ground cover it is difficult for aircraft. A hidden peril lies at every turning. A thousand feet below a bend in the Adikaie road lie five lorries smashed to matchwood; their drivers missed the bend. Such accidents demonstrate the supreme difficulties of the Italian problem.