The herald., 1896-03-05

reached them previous to his arrival at
Massowah. This, at any rate, is the most
charitable construction to place upon the
apparently cruel silence OF the govern
ment.
But the excitement will not diminish to
any extent until an official statement has
set at rest the alarming rumors in circu!a-
ton, or definitely established the real facts
in the case.
To those having relatives serving with
the Italian army in Africa the failure OF
| the war office to issue an official report is
! little less than torture. But no amount of
| pressure seems strong enough to obtain
| the anxiously awaited news from the min
| lister of war.
An important meeting, at which the
Marquis di Rudini presided, took place to-
day. ALI opposition deputies who could
attend were present, and while 1t was de-
| cided to support all the measures necessa-
ry to sustain the honor of Italy. it is under
! stood that the government will be suoJect
to the most severe attacks and that its co.
| lonal policy will come in for the strongest
condemnation.
| In several districts it is reported the gov
ernment officials in charge OF supervising
the calling out of the reserves of 1872 have
teiegraphed that they are having great
| deal of trouble and that further disturb
! ances are imminent.
The government and military authorities
are charged with gross mismanagement OF
| the Abyssinian campaign and great lndlg-
nation is expressed against the newspapers
which have been goading General bara-
teri into action by taunting him with MS
| inactivity. 1t is also said now that the
Italian commander was led into a trap
skilfuily baited by the report which was
allowed to reach him that a number OF i'm
| portant chiefs of The Shoans, attended by a
| portion of the Shoan army, were attending
the coronation of King Negus at Axun and
behind, General Baratieri ordered Generals
| Alesertone, Alirmonde and Dabormda to
attack the enemy. The latter, it appears,
pretended to retreat before the Italian ad-
| vance until the troops were we'll WITHIN the
passes into Adowa, the capital of Tigre.
Then the scene changed. The Shoans,
armed with the improved French military
rifles, it is claimed, and supported by mod
| ern artillery directed by French artillery
men, advanced upon the Italians in over
whelming strength.
| The apparently deserted passes became
alive with natives who hurled rocks down
upon the trapped soldiers, while others
kept up a terrible. well directed fire upon
| the troops. Ugly rumors add that the ltal-
ians broke and fled after making gallant
stand and seeing thousands of their num-
| bers shot down or crushed to death. Then,
| it is added, began the most disastrous de-
| feat in the history of African warfare, the
| triumphant Shoans pressing on after the
| disorganized soldiers, cutting them down
in great numbers in spite OF repeated for
| nations of squares. The troops in these
stands are said to have behaved with the
greatest gallaEtry, but all the reserve am
munition was captured and all the Italian
provisions and artillery fell into the hands
| of the enemy. The result was that num-
ber of Italian detachments had only their
bayonets with which to defend themselves,
and it is feared but small portion of the
| Italian force sent against the Shoans
| reached Asmara in safety.
| The newspapers report that at the cabi-
net meeting this afternoon the ministry re-
solved they would resign rather than force
the crisis. Crispi, it is further reported.
subsequently, Informed King Humbert of
] the decision arrived at. Further details
are being received this evening of violent
scenes enacted today at different points all
| over Italy, which the government has
| sought in vain to prevent the publication
| of. The alarmist rumors which were cir
| cu!atsd earlier in the day are confirmed by
the later reports, and the whole of Italy
| seems to be in the hands of the aroused
populace, indignant at the government,
which is apparently powerless to queli the
outbreaks of wrath.
Popular demonstrations of the most vio-
| lent character have occurred throughout
the Italian peninsula. The most serious
of these, as was indicated in the earlier
| dispatches, which it was permitted to send
| from here, occurred at Milan, where 30,-
600 persons took part in the disorders,
amounting to a popular uprising. The
| police of that city had their hands full to
| bring the crowds under control and were
forced to charge through the streets with
| fixed bayonets before they succeeded in
| dispensing the mob. No statement is made
of tho amount of harm done to the inhabi-
| tants by this rough usage beyond what was
| reported today, but it is known large
| n n nr
| less seriously.
| The public gatherings were addressed by
| orators who made violent speeches against
the constitution and against the ministe-
rial policy in Abyssinia, end who were
greeted with wild acclamations.
| In Rome there was less violence, but the
puSlic indignation was almost equally
high. The students of the city led the
demonstrations which were directed
against the cabinet.
Papers containing pictures of Signor
Crispi were burned in the street, with
every accompaniment of contumely and
wrath expressed against the premier.
Crowds were parading the streets every
| where, shouting, "Down with the govern
ment," "Down with the murderers.'
The police and curassiers were finally
obliged to take a hand, as the volume of
public wrath was assuming dangerous pro-
portions, and the paraders were at last
dispersed. Many arrests were made,
AT Pavia the population turned out en-
masse to protest against the dispatch of
further troops to Africa. Some of the re-
Inducements designed for the relief of the
Italian army in Abyssinia were to depart
from that city today. But they were taken
possession of bodily by the rioters, in
! whose ranks were included many women
and children. The soldiers were forced out
of the cars in which they had taken their
places preparatory to departure, and the
mob then tore up the rails along the track
aud made the soldiers promise not to leave
the town.
There were many demonstrations at
other points against sending more Italians
into Africa. Protests similar in kind to
that at Pavia against further operations in
Africa were made at Como, Bergamo, Gre
mona, Palermo, Lodi, Forli, Monzo, Mo.
dena, Parma. Verona and Cuueo.
1t is said tonight the resignation of the
ministry will be formally announced to
parliament tomorrow. After this had
been done both housee will adjourn until
after the decision of King Humbert upon
formed Siguor Crispi that he must have
time 10 consider whether he will accept the
designations of the ministers and he con-
ferred this evening with the presidents of
the senate and the chamber Of deputies on
the subject.
Further details were received tonight
concerning the defeat of the Italians at the
battle of Adowa, and they tend to confirm
the most alarming reports circulated, al
though the exact number of men killed ia
not yet announced.
General Beratieri's force consisted of
sixteen battalions of white troops Utai-