Evening star., 1935-10-28
ITALIAN VANGUARD
PENETRATES HILLS
GUARDING MAKALE
FaSCiStS Poised for Attack
on Heights in Second
Big Drive.
ADVANCE is UN0PP0SED,
BUT DELAY is ORDERED
Forces Under Gen. Graziani Nov
ing Forward From South to
Meet Northern Armies.

(Copyrieht 1895, by the Associated Press)
ENTISCIO, Ethiopia, October 81
The advance guard of Italy's north.
ern armies moved into the mountains
shielding Makale yesterday in the sec
ond big push Of the campaign in
Ethiopia.
The new drive, which started yes
terday, won water and an important
new foothold for the Fascist Black
shirt forces.
The central column, under Gen.
Alessandro Pirzio-B -Biroli, advanced 20
kilometers G212 miles, to occupy the
Feres Mai Valley-the first important
advance since the Italian troops
| halted on the 60-mile former front
line from Aksum to Adigrat.
Ethiopians Reported Absent.
The spearhead of the attack was
poised today in the heights looking
down the remainder Of the line Of
march to Makale, strategic site so
miles southeast of Aduwa.
Air scouts reported no concentra-
| ton of Ethiopians ahead, but the
Italian high command ordered a
temporary halt. intending TO move
slowly and most carefully.
The engineering corps was busy
constructing road from Entiscio to
the new front line of the central
column.
After it has been completed, the big
guns of the artillery will move for.
ward to join the infantry.
Officers declared the Italian posi-
ton between Aduwa and Adigrat now
was strengthened to a degree believed
invulnerable to any Ethiopian counter
attack.
Wedge Held Impossible.
1t was said the high command be-
lieved Saturdays advance by the
northern forces blasted any hope
which the Ethiopians may have held
Of forming wedge between the two
! columns commanded by Gen. Emilio
! de Bono
The officers explained that the
italian stand between Aduwa and
Adigrat would have been vulnerable
if the Ethiopians had attacked in
sufficient force but that now the whole
! territory had been solidified behind
strong line advanced well beyond
the two northern Ethiopian cities.
Driving up from the south to meet
| the northern armies were the Fascist
/ forces under Gen. Rudolfo GRAHAM.
/ The southern army was split into
/ three main columns. One marched
up the Webbe Shibeli River Valley
toward Ads Ababa. A second, far
| ther to the east, was reported near
! Walwal. The third, central division
threatened Gorrahei.
Southern Sector Begged.
Tropical rains begged the southern
sector but hlndered only slightly the
advance. which had for its main OBJ
jective the city of Harar, where the
northern and southern armies would
meet to unit Italys colonies of Eritrea
and Somaliland.
During recent fighting, number
Of forts, some canon, many machine
guns and 1000 rifles have been cap-
tured, said official reports from the
south
Blackshirt troops under Gen. Dia-
manti led the new northern movement
from Samiata to Adinefas in the
Feres Mai Valley. calculated to give
the main force under Gen. Ruggero
Santini protection from a flank at
tack-favorite device of the Ethio-
plans.
Much of yesterdays push was car
ried on almost in the clouds. The
advance started from Samiata, at an
altitude of more than 10000 feet.
| When it halted the soldiers were still
at height of $500 feet.
Greatest difficulties were encount-
cred because of the high altitude and
the rarified air.
The troops of the central column
marched along the caravan trail all
ready existing in this territory-suffi1
cient for the foot soldiers but not for
the artillery.
Left Column Moves Next.
The left column will advance next
from its positions now maintained at
| EdagahamuS.
There we're important concentra,
tions of Ethiopians south of the TAXI
kaze River facing the right column.
but it was believed the enemy would
be unable to make flank attack on
the middle and left columns owing
to the difficulty of crossing the stream,
The Italians pressed forward
through territory left open for theit
occupation by wholesale submissions
of local Ethiopian chieftains. theis
| (See WAR, Page A.