Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-22

tdry operations against the Ethio-
plans are analysed here By dis
tinouished military tdctictdn Maj.
Gen. Sir Charles GtCynn. British
army, retired, i0ds head OF the
British Commission for Delimitd-
ton of the Sudan-AbySsinid From
tier, and is thoroughly familiar
NTH conditions in the Ethiopian
Empire.
BY MAY. GEN. SIR CHARLES
GWYNN, X. C. b., C. NJ. G., d. s. o.
BY Radio to The Star.
LONDON, July 81 (N.A.N.A)-l
have seen rumors that the Gala
tribesmen are preparing to loose lions
against the Italians, and other re-
ports that various tribes bearing al
legience to Halle Selassie are planning
to employ such barbarous tactics as
launching tsetse flies against the ad-
vancing enemy. Ridiculous! There
are no lions on the Abyssinian plateau
and few on the low ground. There
are no tsetse flies in the region of
operations.
The only possible danger-and that
in my opinion, is greatly exaggerated
is mutilation of the wounded in iso-
lated cases. Killing of the wounded is
possible in fierce, close fighting, but
normal Ethiopian warfare is not char
acterized by extreme savagery or by
conditions comparable to the use OF
gas by the Italians.
Putting aside such fantastic horrors,
a question worth considering is: Can
either party to the AbySsinian quarrel
afford to draw back now? After such
great preparations, even Mussolinis
prestige could hardly survive unless
very substantial concessions were OBJ
tanned.
Emperor Can't Give In.
On the other hand, should the
Ethiopian Emperor be willing to offer
terms, it is almost certain that, in
their present temper and arrogant
self confidence, he could not COM
mand the obedience of his subjects.
radio frontier fighting would be prob
able If the Italian demands were met.
That obviously is the crux of the
present situation, and raises the ques-
ton whether the Italian preparations
were, in the first instance, excessive
and the cause of the present impasse.
Was there, in fact, a real danger Of
the Italian colonies being invaded,
either with or without the authority
of the Abyssinian government? It is
impossible to estimate accurately the
extent Of the danger, but, in fairness
to Italy, it must be recognized that.
on various occasions of minor dis
putes over the frontier questions,
Abyssinian officers have attempted to
assert claims by force
That the Abyssinian government
originally ever contemplated a seri-
Gus attempt to drive Italy from the
Eritrean plateau or to the seacoast
in Somaliland I think is unbeliev-
able. Now, however. the crisis has
become tense and different question
arises. Italy admittedly is now pre-
pairing for offensive rather than de-
fensive action. Is there risk that
Abyssinia might, by taking the initi-
alive and invading Eritrea, greatly
increase the difficulty italy would
have in attaining her object?
Preventive Invasion Barred.
Suspicion of that danger, whether
justified or not. gives reason for the
extension and intensiflcation of Italian
preparations 1t is probable that, by
now, Italy's preparations are suffi-
GENTLY advanced to remove any dan
ger of. an Abyssinian preventive in
vasion.
Raids on small scale against FROM
tier posts in Somaliland might be
attempted, but the Abyssinian hates
and fears any long employment in the
low country, where he is unfamiliar
with conditions of the terrain, is very
liable to fever, and likely soon to run
short Of food and water. The post