The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-07
BY EDWARD W. BEATTIE

N1fted Press stan Correspondent
Adds ABABA. Sept. 7.-Tombs
outnumber men along the first half
Of the railroad from Dubouti, the
Red Sea port Of French Somaliland.
to Adds Ababa. They are an ap-
propriate element Of a landscape
that must be one of the most de-
pressing on earth.
II is a land where cultivation is
out OF the question. II gives no
promise Of the rich plateau beyond
the escarprnent.
The tiny, narrow gauge train
rattles out Of Djibouti station at l
a. m, leaving a platform so jammed
with beggars. cake sellers and
hangers-on that getting baggage
aboard is almost impossible. The
train is a stocky engine. six or eight
toy freight cars and two coaches.
Correspondents Are Well Equipped
Aboard are foreign correspondents
and a few Ethiopians returning
from abroad to aid their country.
The former are equipped with every
variety of thing supposedly neces-
sary on the plat au. There are gas
masks. bed rolls. and much diversi-
fed clothing. One is accompanied
by his wife, his chauffeur and
great dane. His car will follow.
The evil waSte-lands begin almost
Immediately. And so do the tombs.
Among the volcanic bOulders which
cover the hillsides. they are often
hardly distinguishable. for they are
simply crude circles of rocks among
the rocks around them. Once in
while the tomb Of some forgotten
chief is marked by a roughly-p piled
cairn in the center of the circle.
Men appear at the infrequent
stations, and at times between sta
lions with two or three small, sick
" looking camels or few goats.
They themselves are emaciated.
Somalis for the most part. They
live in square stone houses with mud
roofs. filthy inside and out. The
standard dress is rags and a spear.
Little Water in Sight
There must be water holes since
people live here, but they are not
visible from the train. There are
only the black boulders. the thorn
trees, the pastel mineral-streaked
hills and an occasional troop of
balloons who scratch while watching
the train pass.
In the great dry river beds, eaten
a hundred or so feet into the earth,
there are occasional gazelles. but
there is little water for much game
AT times there is tuft grass and
scrubby trees. which make the land
look something like the Mojave
Desert in America.
The French border post at Ali
Sabiet three hours later and the
knobby little Ethiopian railway po
lice with their antique guns at
Daouenle a few miles farther on
signal the passage into Ethiopia.
But there IS not much change in
the terrain throughout the morning
and early afternoon. 1t is sun
cracked earth, gray-green grass and
termite hills looking like gigantic
mud pies. but at least the desolate
boulders have been passed.
Menelik Feared Foreigners
Only 80 kilometers away at points,
other travellers say, there are rich
districts. but Halle .SelaSSie's prede-
CesSor. the late Emperor Menelik,
when the railroad was started, dis
trusted foreigners and would not
allow their railroad to tap any but
barren soil.
The first running water comes az
ter nine hours steady travel from
DjbOuti. Trees and even green
grass become frequent. giant oryXes,
tiny dik-dik and other antelope are
sighted often. and the flattopped
trees are hung with the nests of
weaver birds.
The EthiopianS on the train have
been acting as guides all day. A
customs inspector from Dire Dawa
has been naming the animals and
trees, or enthusiastically describing
how There are canyons throughout
this country where an invader
could be beaten of with rocks" A
young doctor returning from Amer
lea has looked at the waste lands
and explained: These are one rea-
son for our backwardneSs up to the
time of Halle SelaSSie'S coronation.
These deserts kept us shut of and
almost forgotten for centuries"
At Dire Dawa. shipping point for
the coffee and fruits of the rich
Harar province. the train stops for
the night. The customs official
herds II porters loaded with cor
respondents baggage to the hotel.
bundozes the proprietor into making
room where there is none. and goes
of 10 bed. Passengers. facing near
" IS hours travel the next day, DO