Evening star., 1935-04-21

~ ENOA.-Hundreds Of little
things (not counting the
I babiesD show the intensity
~ with which Italy is preparing
for her first crucial test in
foreign affairs since Mussolini came
to power.
After IL years Of domestic discipline,
of chanting the lays of the grandeur
of ancient Rome, of frowning menac-
ingly abroad largely for its heartening
effect at home-after all this, Fas-
cism Is now ready to fight.
To be sure, there has been some
discrimination in the selection of an
opponent, but, nevertheless, the stage
is ready. A few years ago there was
much rafting of the sword in the
direction of France. A few months
ago there were visions of blow to-
ward the north. But now the woolly
Ethiopian has been settled upon for a
finish fight with Rome.
However, it is not as one-sided a
match as it appears to be at first
glance Although Italy ranks as one
of the powers, she is one of the least
suited to the task in hand. Further
more, while her opponent, Ethiopia, is
a wild. ignorant, poorly organized
nation, it Is at the same time pecu-
liarly protected by location and cl-
mate, and has ruler of considerable
acumen.
Protection Is Varied.
Ethiopia, as it is called here (Abys-
snia in recent years in the United
States), is really a rich plateau EN-
pire, protected from Italy's attack by
a long sea voyage, by ring OF noun
tains and by an outer fringe OF
parched desert land. AS If this were
not enough in the way of assistance,
she has an additional ally in her
equatorial heat and in the fact that
her fringe territory is a death zone
for man and beast through the preva-
lence of the tee-tSe fly, and in certain
zones of the malarial mosquito. 1t is
a difficult land to traverse in peace
times. and will be a costly one to deal
with in warfare.
The first hint that I had of the
seriousness Of Italy's intentions In
that region was in the new map OF
colonial Africa, which has recently
appeared in nearly every shop Win
dow. All previous maps showed the
boundary line between Italian Somal-
iland and Ethiopia. This one, how
ever, entirely omits any line between
the two. The boundary lines Which
separate Ethiopia from the British
and French colonies, on the other
hand, are clearly defined.
The next indication OF activity
came at the first Italian port which
I visited, Naples, where / saw men
and materials in large numbers beng
put on ship for Africa. The first
large vessel that I saw loading there
was the Conte Biancamano, destined
for Somaliland, of course. 1t was
surrounded by barges filled with mu-
nitions and with ready-cut lumber,
with all the pieces numbered, for the
speedy erection of supply depots. At
Lephorn and Genoa there were SIM
liar evidences of the stimulating effect
of the war preparations on port life.
The newsstands, too, reflect the
popular interest. One illustrated
magazine has q stirring cover in COL
ors. depicting a sun-helmeted Euro
pean holding swarms of attacking
blacks at bay.
Recruiting Is Pushed.
Recruits have been coming to all
the principal centers for some days,
and here and at Leghorn company
after company marches toward the
docks. Large quantities Of hay and
grain are moving toward the ports,
particularly from the region around
Pisa. In fact, have seen here more
| men In uniform, as well as march,