Evening star., 1935-10-14
.TR|BESMEN MARCH
TO FLANK ATTACK.
Ras Desta Demtu Leading
Assault on italians in
Ogaden.

(Copyright 1885. by the Associated Press)
Adds ABABA, October l4-An
Ethiopian army of 10000 warriors,
led bySRas Desta Demtu. son-in-law
of Emperor Halle Selassie. fastened
by forced marches across southwestern
Ogaden Province today for flank at
tack on the southern Fascist forces.
The first major battle of the Italo-
Ethiopian war, dwarflng into insig-
nificance the capture by the Italians
of Aduwa on the northern front, was
feared here to be impending.
Covered by the British Somaiiland
frontier, the southern Italian army
under Gen Rudolfo Gralani. Gov
ernor OF Italian Somaljlapd, pointed
its main drive toward E:sar. Garden
of Ethiopia" and strategic capital of
the province by the same name, on the
route into the heart of Ethiopia.
Aims at Left Wing.
The Ethiopian commander decided
to strike at the Italians lett wing,
hoping to turn their flank in the des-
olate, waterless region to the SOUTH
west.
Ethiopians here, estimating their
forces would outnumber the southern
Fascist legions almost Is to /, we're
confident the Italians would be over
come easily by the preponderant
strength of the native tribesmen.
True to his promise to fight the
Italian invaders. Ras Desta Demtu
led his troops out of their concentra-
tion point in the lowlands near Webbe
Shibeli River, pathway from Italian
Somaliland toward Harar.
$4,000 Irregulars Wait.
There his 100000 warriors had been
awaiting the word for a swift advance
TO join 10000 irregulars led by the
Dutch Boer Col Siwiank, owner of
an estate at Moibale, a few miles
within the frontiers of Italian Somali-
land
Ethiopians said that Col. Siwiank,
aroused by constant controversies with
local italian authorities. decided to
throw his strength to the Ethiopian
side and to take active service against
the FaScists.
Gen. Graziani's army, after an ad-
vance of 80 miles from its original
base in the Ogaden Province Desert
along the borders of Ethiopia and
italian Somaliland, was protected by
$50 tanks and 200 airplanes
Tanks Hold Advance Line,
The swift tanks, mounted with
modern machine guns, held the ad-
vance line from the British frontier
near Bohotoleh southwest to Kabrin,
Beridaleh and Masara, across the
southern sector Of Ethiopia.
Ethiopian sources declared the ad-
vance of the modern, mechanized
Italian Army, which Ras Desta
Demtu's warriors aimed to cut off with
their more primitive weapons, already
had cost heavy Ethiopian casualties.
Emperor Halle Selassie issued an
appeal to the International Red Cross
for f1rst-aid materials to combat the
effects of the modern warfare, little
known to his subjects.
Fears Held for Envoy.
Fears spread that popular ire in
the capital, aroused by the uncon-
hrmed reports of widespread deaths
OF Ethiopian civilians, might vent it
self against the Italian Minister, Lui-
81 Vinci-Gigliucci, who was expected
to set out soon for Rome.
The question of using force to make
Count Vinci-Gigliucci quit Ethiopia,
after he defied the Emperor's ulti-
matum to leave. was discussed freely
in Ethiopian official circles.
Spokesman said the Emperor was
considering permission for Vinci-Gig-
liucci to await the arrival of consular
agents from Mogalo.
Other officials of the Italian Lega-
tion and the consuls from Dessye and
Debra Markos arrived by special train
at Djibouti, French Somaliland. late
yesterday after tense 30-hour jour-
ney from the capital.