The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-19

Ing a great service to the Ethi-
oplans, because they never wanted
1t IN the first place. And in the
second place, Italy would be de-
stroying internationally owned
property and therefore would be
called upon to indemnify those
whose property her airmen de-
Stroyed.
TT is probable that the Italians
are not intending use of tanks
or planes for an intensive me-
chanical or aerial warfare. Thew
can not-for Ethiopia is about the
worst country in the world in
which to try to demonstrate eff
tectively the modern implements
of war.
instead, despite all the horrors
and the heat of the great Danakil
depression on the north-and the
vast Waterless plains to the south
OF italian Somaliland-it is with
out doubt that Mussolini's gener-
ais intend to push troops across
these wastes, to the rim of the
uplands 300 and 400 miles in the
interior of Ethiopia.
AND the thrusts will probably
DE made to meet at Adds Ababa
ana squeeze the Ethiopians in a
vlce-the jaws of the vice extend
ing north to ASmara. in Eritrea
and south to Mogadiscio
AND cavalry and infantry will
carry the brunt of the attack.
HE costs will be terrible Men
u and horses will die like flies
but the die has been cast-and
when dictator says march," one
marches!
The cost will not be counted
Italy is out to stretch itself from
the Mediterranean to the Indian
Ocean-and the joining of Ital-
ian Somaliland to Eritrea, with
Ethiopia as the connecting link. is
just the beginning.
But what of the resistance the
Ethlopians can give to these in
Vaders of the House Of Savoy?
TO gain a key of some sort.
one must go back to 1886 and the
Battle of Adowa.
Africa was then being sliced up
among the powers-with Great
Britain, as the strong man of the
group, taking the juiciest slices:
the French getting their piece, the
Italians and the Germans and the
Belgians getting the rest.
Abyssinia, under this slicing-up
came under the Italian sphere of
influence. Egypt backed out and
France and England pocketed the
Somalilands. King John of Abys-
slnla was killed in battle. Meme
lik took his place.
The Italians thought this was
a good opportunity. MeneIiE and
the Italians signed the treaty to
observe frontier lines, but the
Italians decided to expand south
ward as well as assume a protec-
torate over Abyssinia.
The French were not then on
friendly terms with the Italians.
Menelik raised an army of 100000
Abyssinians and the French helped
him. Italy walked into a trap
at Adowa and was licked badly.
THE troops were conscripts
l. from italy. The people back
home objected to the slaughter of
soldiers for the sake of building
an African empire. So the Italians
retreated, signed new agreement
and remained satisfied with
Eritrea.
On the result of this one great
battle, Ethiopia has built most of
her military boasts.
To a certain extent, 1t might
be likened to little boy, who
suddenly landed lucky punch on
the jaw of the bully and knocked
MIN cold, and ever after came to
believe that he was invincible.
Much has been written about the
Battle of Adowa and more has
been said of it-but it is a danger
Gus precedent to go on to Judge
the relative military values of
ethiopian and italian soldiers.
10 begin with. the Italian COM
mand committed glaring tactical
errors IN driving pell-mel into a
situation which even the graenest
suoaltern could see contained all
the earmarks of almost certain de-
1eat for the attacking troops.
Secondly, the war at that time
mad split public and political opin-
Ion back home in Rome-and the
poitlclans were not lending the
right support to the military
THIRDLY, the Italian hioh
L command was split wide open
with petty jealousies. At the time