The Omaha guide., 1935-09-14

New York, Sept12-(ANP)-At
the opening session of the League of
Nations Council in Geneva, Switzer-
land, last Wednesday, Italy played
her trump card to escape the indict-
ment Of history and of humanity in
connection with her planned war
with Ethiopia.
Her chief representative, Baron
Pompeii Aloisi, submitted a volumni-
GUS report to Council members, docu-
menting a long list Of charges against
the East African Empire.
For readers who wish a full pic
ture and understanding OF the action
at Geneva, a bit Of retracing Of some
Of the facts Of lo-Ethiopian re-
lations is necessary.
First, it should be borne in mind
that Italy possesses two colonies, Fri
trea and Somalland, on the northern
and southern boundaries Of Ethiopia,
respectively. Each of these colonies
represents an encroachment upon
Ethiopia and are reflections Of Italian
policy in the last sixty years. Fri
trea, the northern colony, possessing
seaports, was as recently as the 18th
century a part of the Ethiopian en-
pire. But, in order to satiate the
greed Of Italy, Ethiopia ceded Fri
tree to Italy, hoping thereby to salts
fy Italian voracity. This move on the
part of Ethiopia did not serve the
purpose and in 1896, the emperor,
Menelik, was forced to defend the
empire against Italian aggression.
The Italians suffered a disasterous
defeat at Adowa and were forced to
sign a peace treaty guaranteeing
Ethiopian sovereignty.
Peace For Forty Years
Second, the reader should remem-
Der that this peace has lasted forty
years, and that although the two ma
lions may have regarded each other
with some suspicion, as was natural,
there have been incidents important
enough to suggest war. In fact, in
1923, 27 yeahs after Adowa, it was
Italy who supported Ethiopa's claim
for admission to the League of Ma
tions. A that time, when other ma
tions, including Great Britain, level
ed charges of backwardness and
slavery against Ethiopia, the Italians
absolved the black kingdom and
strenuously demanded its recognition.
Although, during the forty-year per-
iod, England, France and Italy, the
three nations most vitality concerned
in East Africa, entered into numer-
Gus agreements involving Ethiopia,
they were each careful to emphasize
that neither had in mind encroach-
ment upon the territorial integrity of
Ethiopia. As late as 1928, Italy en-
tered into a treaty Of friendship with
Ethiopia. During this long period Of
forty years, there were no complaints
from either France, England or Italy
that Ethiopia had violated any Of her
agreements, or that she had placed
ii jeopardy any of the colonial inter
ests of the powers surrounding her.
Mussolini Praises War
Mussolini, Italian premier, is, how
ever, a vital third factor in the IN
derstanding of Italian-Ethiopian re-
lations. The background Of the pres
cnt controversy must certainly de-
rive in Mussolini's pronouncements
on war made in 1888. Mussolini at
that time extolled the virtues and ne
cessity of war. Few people knew
when Mussolimi speech was delivered
the direction in which he was look
ing.
But events Of 1884, bring the stu
dent Of the situation down to date.
The Philippians have claimed that
Mussolini began his action against
them in August, 1884. This claim
vas supported in a copyright article
by Win Barber, special correspond
ent Of the Chicago Tribune IN Adds
Ababa, last week The Ethiopians
have listed the concentration Of
Italian wal supplies in its East
African colonies which began in
August, 1884, less than a year after
Mussolini's pronouncement on war.
From August, 1884, to December,
1894, when the so-called Ualual in
cident occurred, was but a space Of a
few months during which Italy was
pouring war materials into Africa
The Philippians encountered the
Italians at Ualual in Ogaden prov
ince, bordering Italian Somahland.
They claimed that Ualual was in
Ethiopian territory and that Italian
troops, native or otherwise, had no
business there. The Ethiopian claim
was based upon q treaty TO the eff
feet that the Ethiopian boundary
should follow roughly a line parallel
to the Red sea, $50 miles inland.
This line shows Ualual to be go
niles within Ethiopian territory. AS
late as 1928, italian maps denoted
Ualual IN Ethiopian territory, indi-
eating the agreement of the Italians