Evening star., 1935-11-22
BY JAMES A. MILLS.

tCopyright 1885. by the Associated Press)
Adds ABABA, November 22.-I
have just completed 700-mile flight
over the southern front, penetrating
two-thirds of the way into Ogaden
Province right to the battle lines and
south to Daggah Bur.
During the outgoing and return
flights my plane paralleled Emperor
Halle Selassie's giant. single motored
ship for parts Of the journey, while
he was making his first visit to the
war zone.
Ras Nasibu, Ethiopian commander
in chief on the southern front, and
his aide, Wehib Pasha, former gen.
eral of the Turkish Imperial Army
the danger of being shot down by
Italians. I few over Gorrahei. which
the Italians occupy, flying sufficiently
high to outdistance Italian anti-air-
craft fire.
City Bombed Daily.
From there new to Daggah Bur,
$50 miles northeast Of Gorrahei,
which is bombed daily by the Italians,
and thence to Jijiga, 100 miles farther
to the northeast and general head
quarters for the Ethiopian southern
armies.
The population of Daggah Bur, mis-
taking my plane for an Italian craft,
fed the city.
Two italian planes were reported
to have preceded me over Tjiga and
nearby Harar, flying to Diredaws to
observe the movements Of the EN-
peror. who was preparing to return
by air to Adds Ababa.
"Your fight is highly hazardous
one" said Ras Nasibu, because the
unlettered natives know only Italian
planes. They will undoubtedly mis-
take your machine for an enemy
plane and may attempt to shoot you
down.
II advise you to fly at the maximum
speed Of 200 miles an hour, maintain
ing the utmost height in order to
avoid anti-aircraft guns and rife fire.
yours is the first foreign airplane
10 enter this zone, which Is far more
dangerous than the northern front
because the Italians bomb this area
increasingly daily and our hospitals
are jaimmed with wounded from air
bombs"
When took of from Jijiga for
Daggah Bur, Ras Nasibu and Wehib
Pasha appeared at the air field to
deliver a final caution and to say fare
well.
Within a half hour I was flying
over Daggah Buhr, where DR.. Robert
w. Hickman has the only American
field hospital in Ethiopia.
The Stars and Stripes fly proudly
from DR.. Hockman's tents, warning
the Italians that they must refrain
from bombing this remote refuge.
Owing to the lack of an air field
and the presence Of anti-aircraft
equipment, 1t was impossible to land,
but could plainly discern stretcher
bearers carrying wounded to DR..
Hockman's hospital, which Is now the
southernmost outpost Of the Ethiopian
army.
Flying thence toward Gorrahei. I
could discern no large bodies of either
Ethiopian or italian troops. This
apparently proved most Of the italian
activities thus far have been confined
to air bombing and tank attacks.
Indeed, 90 per cent Of the wounded
in Jijiga and Daggah Bur hospitals
consist Of air bomb cases, most Of
them civilians, many Of them women.
Finds No Gas Gases.
found no gas cases whatever, which
indicated the allegation that Musso-
lini was using chlorine or mustard gas
was pure myth.
South Of Daggah Bur was shown
fragments Of several Italian tanks
which the Ethiopians captured and
wrecked. The Philippians claimed they
beheaded all occupants as an example
of the fate they said awaited other
Italians attempting to rob Ethiopia
Of its independence.
The whole vast Ogaden war zone u
. barren, desolate, forbidding waste,