Evening star., 1935-10-15
BY LAURENCE sTALLINGS.

DIREDAWA, Ethiopia (by air maiD.
New reserves pouring from the
train here numbered section
of troops from men of Shoa. These
men wear their crinkled hair crest
ed and ruffed by the wide-brim-
med double felt hat Of the plateau.
Rarely has work knotted their
sinews. While inexpert with rif1e-a
weapon they have carried since the
proud parent presented the son. aged
5, with heavy, brass banded Moscova
rife and one live cartridge for emer-
gency-these men have the art of
throwing stones with an accuracy
which would be the envy of any farm
boy.
1t Is not that stone throwing is for
them one of the arts of war. For war
to the men of Shoa can mean only the
possession Of a rifle with which to
shoot an enemy when that enemy's
breath is hot upon the Shoa mans
face. Stone-throwing Is an art they
have learned watching cattle. 1t is
their occupation in Shoa, the manly
one.
Delicate and Proud.
Inasmuch as cattle on the green
Plateau of Shoa are forever knee-deep
in grasses and seldom stray more than
20 yards to encompass full days
grazing, the men of Shoa are not
brawny. They are slender and deli
cately formed. Any one Of them can
hit a designated lamb at so PAGES on
the first throw, cutting the stray back
into the herd with an unsurpassed
accuracy. 1t saves the men of Shoa
from walking.
They are a proud and handsome
people and, think, must be the
darkest of the Semitic tribes in Ethi-
opia. Too, they seem the most f1nicky
and will always breathe through their
chammas when nearing the body of
8 white man with its aura of soap
and shaving lotion, which must be
offensive to the men of Shoa, who
have spent their days delightfully."-
on small hillocks watching nameless
birds wheel pleasantly over a land
of meadow flowers. It was difficult
to make one talk through an inter-
prefer.
Suspect All Whites.
els the man an Italian? Why, then,
does he care about me? He will sell
his information to the Italians, this
white"
The interpreter joins in persistence.
The Shoa man cants his head, bird
like head with feminine tendencies,
small nose, resembling an Italian
masters idealization of Jewish nose
on a young st. John, an oval face
and a chocolate-bar complexion.
ASK him." say, getting to the
heart of the matter, why didn't he
bring his slave to war"
"It Is not necessary for us to use
our slaves. We can whip the Italians
with sticks"
1T will be that. easy?"
Their Horror Of War.
'War is never easy. We fight
always at night. Thus one must at
tempt to sleep in the heat of the noon
sun. That is the cruel part Of war.
That one sleeps in the heat. It is
very bad for the digestion. However,
all things are accomplished through
Gods will. It is the power of God
which will beat the Italians"
Tell him have heard that the
Italians worship the same trinity as
his own"
Whether we know 1t or not" says
the delicately fashioned man of Shoa,
I'VE all worship the same God. Only,
this time, we have prayed to God, and
God is on our side"
TELL him that I once knew Of an
instance where 20,000,00 men were
at war and every priest asserted that
God was on his side"
HE says he does not care to enter
discussion of the matter
Then at least he is like most
soldiers"
II am like every soldier Of Halle
Selassie's," is the answer. II 20 to
war because my Emperor asks me to