Evening star., 1935-08-22

(those fabulous stories Of gas concen-
tration more effective than a chemist
might dream of they dismiss. ITO
be sure, gas. If the tactical situation
demands it. But it will be mainly foot
and horse and light guns, as always.
But We shall go very fast, in the style
of the legions of Caesar. Tanks. air
planes, gas-these will give us no
waste movements. We shall do it,
for We must go somewhere"
As to the men who oppose them.
let us read Col. H. Murray Jacoby's
startling estimate of their leader. Col.
Jacoby was the Special Ambassador
from the United States to the corona
ton of Halle Selassie in 1880.
In Halle Selassie." he writes. there
is combined all the administrative
strength of Yamagata and an Ito,
or, more recently, Of Melam Pasha.
1t is not so difficult to create
humanist in an idealistic democracy,
but it does require sublime courage
to forbid the trading of slaves in the
heart of Africa after 5000 years of
bondage. Equally courageous is it to
create a constitution in an empire
which, as an example Of absolute
monarchy, has barely an equal in
history"
May Offer Territory.
Yet the possibility of averting war
may not be within the power of the
Ethiopian Emperor. Thus far. Europe
believes, he has played the game at
Geneva. with Britain as his right
bower. and it is thought here that he
will again offer a compromise. If and
when the September meeting fails
to assuage the Italian demands He
might possibly offer Ogaden-his last
portion of Somaliland-for Somali
chiefs have traded before, as England
and France have reason to know.
Just how much he might concede is
a matter of great delicacy Of balance;
for his uplanders, it is universally
agreed, will concede nothing. Certain
cynics think he would never have per-
mitted the Italians such leisure to
consolidate a military base on the
(now -existent) borders Of Eritrea.
had there been no League Of Nations
to guide him, but would have sprung,
with his cohorts of the adjacent Tigre
Kingdom, upon the Italian base at
Asmara.
It Is an anomaly that Halle SelasSie
is a philosopher, man of mild man
ners, ruling over a dozen kings in
lion robes. 1t is not, one believes, up
to him in the final result as to how
Italy will make her destiny in Ethi-
opia. That he has about him now
men of a world point Of view, and
that many able soldiers of fortune are
ready to aid his commands, may give
him the necessary firmness to refuse
all demands.
1t will be, it is agreed, matter OF
foot, horse and light guns, and no
country was ever less suited to DEM
onstrate the modernity of war than
his. If the Italians suspect, then he
must know-his people have known
5000 years of it-that the way Of the
invader above 5000 feet is hard.
England Strongest Friend.
Halle Selassie cannot be accused OF
failure to wish the benefits of civiliza-
ton upon his people without Italian
aid. His "open door" policy, his ef-
forts to abolish a grievous slavery as
old as his state, have stood him in
good stead. But all the world knows
that his strongest friend is Britain
England with its rule over millions
of Mohammedans, anxious to keep the
peace of the Mohammedan world. His
ranks will be filled with European
captains, who will follow the dictum
Of that genius, Lawrence Of Arabia
who never made war upon men, but
upon their material, If they were
modern men.
If Halle Selassie has to make war
then he must move every piece in the
game to establish open warfare. As