Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-12

/ Further news from the disaster 10
| italian arms In Abyssinia. and from tne
relief and punitive expeditions nnner
! Generals Arimond and Baraneri VIII De
awaited with interest. The Italians have
made In the Red-Sea lIttoral. spiendid
record for military prowess and energy
hut should the troops now In Eryther'a'
the Italian African colony. prove made
ouate TO cope with the situation uh"'
the arrival OF endorsements from nome
the consequences may prove far-reachihs
In their gravity. Not only would the
AbvssIanians be encouraged to press the
colonial forces to the extreme Dut IL IL
possible that the Mahdists might seize the
occasion for another upheaval. and an
effort to crush out the colony.
Ever since the opening Of the Suez canal
Italy has had colonial aspirations In Tie
quarter Of Africa In which she Il now
opera,lng and as far lnck as 1870 had
PLANTED u land or trading company on
Assab bay, just above the Straits OF
Bab-el-Mandeb Her schemes Tor ATT
can colonization met with decided oppo-
sition from Great Britain. however, ana
II WAS not until the fall OF Khartoum that
The way was opened for her TO establish
a formidable military post In East Africa
and commence seriously and with any
show of success the work OF terri'oriai
expansion. Then. by tacit agreement
with England. she took possession Oh
Afassowah. which commands one OIL the
pr,ncipal strategic approaches to the
Soudan. and from that day TO this mas
been rapdly extending her sphere OF in
auence This has been accomplished by
both treaties with England. Egypt, ana
native tribes and force OF arms, ana so
great has Italian prestige in the httorai
become that Englishmen, who have oeen
watching it's development, have recently
thought IL necessary 10 raise the question
whether 1t was not menace to British
East African interests. especially III the
light of the bearing of those interests on
the problem OF reconquering the Soudan.
Italy has the right to occupy Kassala,
which is the more immediate gateway 10
Khartoum but, by agreement with Eng
land. for whom she is in a sense con-
IL Egvpt so demands The fear in the
minds of some of the British Statement
and public is, however. that Italy mas
grown so great in her East African CO.
lonial sphere that when the time comes
for closing in upon the Soudsn she VIII
he in position 10 dictate her own terms
touching the division of the spols
- Int DlTc4nV
extends TO the borders OF the Soudan'
and this fact. together with the expansion
the colony had achieved in the direction
of Abyssinia, led TO the suggestion iateiy
that Italy might ere long be able to COM
mand Egypt by threatening to divert the
v.,ers NJ the Nile. IL Is true that the
suggestion was made in an address before
a British scientific society. but IL was
none the less regarded by the Brittsn
peor1e as notice that Italy's East African
policy needed careful watching. Indeed, 1t
was limited at the time that the address
was semi-officially inspired.
Another Interesting phase Of the situa
tio.i, AMI one upon which further lgnt
will be- awaited with some anxiety. re
well in England as in Italy, is brought
to ne frort by the statement that tht
Abyssinian force that surrounded ana
overw Ieinied the Italian troops was com
manded by Russian officer. = this he
a fact. the real meaning OF the recent
Russian missions to Abyssinia and the
return Abyssinian mission to st. Peters
burg may be speedily disclosed.