Evening star., 1935-08-22


navy.
Embargo Failure Seen.
All over Europe the diplomats. get
ting out their fire hats for the first
time since 1914, are blinking at Sig
nor Mussolini's dazzling successes.
Likewise the bankers-who still per-
sist in thinking they count--are
figuring that II 'Duce can stand no
more than a year of war finance.
British major generals from the Sudan
declare that Ethiopia will run arms,
embargo or not, along the Anglo
Sudanese border, and that nothing
short Of a full British Army corps
could close this frontier to contra
band caravans
English commissioners, who have
forgotten the Khyber Pass In their ex-
element, declare that II Duce will
need three years to win Ethiopia, if
the arms embargo is upheld, and
seven if it is lifted In Paris a French
p1an who has devoted his life to
study Of Marshal Lyautey's work in
subduing Morocco. says that Ethiopia
is Morocco multiplied by So"
No one in England or France-in
the military "know''-believes that any
but the most severely drawn fighting
can place Ethiopia under the flag of
Savoy.
War Fever Deferred.
In Italy, however, there is mainly
calm. One notes not so much the alb
sence of war spirit as a lack of neces-
sity for it. Doubtless. If the campaign
takes place, it will be simple matter
to fan the nation into a fever heat
as such matters have never been diff
cult when blood has been spent afar.
Just now II Duce does not need the
tumult and shouting.
. We must go somewhere" an
Italian reserve captain says. I'VE all
are workers. For years our surplus la
Dor went to America. Now there are
no jobs there. We have promised
France to keep out of the Balkans,
so We go to Ethiopia"
1t Is, I think, the coolest proposal
for an invasion, for all its promised
heat, in military annals. The overt
incident on which italy bases casus
beili is so trivial as to be almost for
gotten. Somali No. 81, series A, and
Italian Trooper No. 62, series B.
clashed in the dark somewhere. Every
effort has been made to make amends
for the clash. but 100000 men are
now surviving the rigors of terrible
strip of desert depression, awaiting
the signal to begin the partitioning of
fierce country into peaceful Italian
farms.
The best answer-the most preva-
lent one-which the italian makes to
a question Of arms, is not one of fer
vor
THE Ethiopian Plateau" he says.
boasts climate which will be very
suitable to us.
Difficulty Conceded.
1.-The sheer military occupation of
the plateau, one is assured, will be
most difficult. But we shall have no
repetition of the Adowa catastrophe
At that time we were just beginning
as a nation. We had a chamber o.
deputies to confuse things, to refuse
proper support of the army. But in
this one-everybody does what II
Duce says. OF course, it will take
years to settle the country. But the
military necessity will soon be dis
missed.
There has been difficulty in Erit-
rea among the troops this Summer?
Suffering? Disease? Well. yes. Nat
urally, I can say little, for know
nothing. Everything is censored,
which is right. have my best friends
there. He is class ahead Of me, and
what a fellow to complain about
everything! He would tell everything.
But in his letters to me he writes that
everything is all right. laugh when
his letters come. What he would
write If he couldi"
ask a captain of 40 If he really
wants such a war. The inevitable
answer is mol" For him the Ethio-
plans are rather obtuse in not placing
themselves under Italian rule. BY far
the easiest way out of the diflculty
would be voluntary submission to
protectorate. he assures me.
The most unexpected attitude Of the
Italians concerns their inclination to
discount the most recent developments
in combat arms. Thus they do not
foresee any great series of air raids
blasting the Ethiopians from the face
of Africa.
"Our planes" they say, will be
mainly infantry contact, guarding
against surprise, supporting the ad-
vance, spotting for field guns, perhaps
fighting over us, and with U.s." As for
tanks-"of course. but with great dim
Guilty, and then perhaps . nuisance.
The matter os chemical warfare