Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-14

against well-handled troops with mod
ern ornaments, assisted by air forces
and perhaps arrnored vehicles. Nor
are the Abyssinian armament end
method of supply suitable to q pro-
longed defensive act.rn, especially as
the supplies Of ammunition are short.
The difficulties OF ali invader would,
I think, be measured ny the extent to
which the Abyssiniaps adapted them
selves to guerrilla tactics in harassing
and delaying an advance which has
to overcome great physical obstacles.
The aim of the Abyssinian in war
fare Is to close with the enemy and
use swords. What happens after that
it would be difficult to say. Where
the Emperor has spared his own peo-
pie in raiding and other exploits, he
has treated them very well and al
lowed them to establish their own
system of rule. Only where resist
ance has been offered has he devas-
tated the country with fire and
sword, wiping out resistance COM
p;etely-man, woman and child.
Italy Has Engineering Problem.
Italy's problem must be to co-or-
dinate engineering with military eff
fort To maintain a striking force
Of, say, one or two divisions, adequate
in numbers and equipment to over
come resistance, roads suitable for
motor transport are essential. Roads
in that sense do not exist in Abyssinia.
There are only mule tracks and. In
many places, bad ones at that. The
plateau rises to a height of some 5000
feet in the west and south Prac-
tically the only valley line that gives
graded access to the plateau Is that
of the Hawash River. which is in
French territory, along which runs
the railway from Djibuti to Adds
Ababa
In Eritrea Italy has footing on
the main plateau, much of which is
undulating and not difficult, but at
frequent intervals streams and rivers
cut deep ravines, necessitating elab-
crate bridging and road-making oper-
atoms. During the rainy season,
which lasts from April to the middle
Of September, military operations are
practically impossible, and good roads
and bridges would be essential to
maintain an invaders advanced
troops. Owing to the height of the
land, even in the dry season, the
nights are very cold, and shelter, nom
existent in the country, must be sup
piled if the health Of troops is not TO
suffer.
From her Somali coast colony, Italy
could advance almost to the detached
Harrar Plateau probably with less
difficulty and meeting less resistance.
but still heavy engineering operations
certainly would be necessary.
Adds Ababa Is Ruinous Goal.
We are still in some doubt as to
what Italys military detectives would
be if AbySsinia stubbornly resisted her
demands. Considerable rectif1cation
of her frontiers by force, especially in
the case of her Somali colony. would
not be difficult. It might even be pos
sible for her to annex the Harrar
Province and extend her Eritrean COL
ony in the course of one dry season.
If, however, she attempted operations
with Adds Ababa as an objective, to
! be followed by establishment Of COM
| plete control over the country, that
would be an undertaking of the first
1 magnitude extending over an indef1-
mite period and ruinously expensive.
Italy would seem to be faced with
| dilemma If she were content with
/ limited acquisition Of territory she
would obtain little of value and would
/ find it more difficult than ever to OBJ
/ tain commercial concessions of any
value. for the Abyssinian is a master
! in devising obstacles which would
make concessions valueless. Can Italy,
however, possibly afford major I'M
dertaking, and would the italian peo-
pie stand the prolonged strain?
How are the interests of other Eu-
ropean powers involved? If Italy &C
quired dominating position in Abys-
sinia. that of France would not be
much affected. 1t might, in fact, i'm
prove the commercial value Of Djibuti's
| pull dIlO Ad4lhdS, do OCA4S bAlC CdolCoO
means of trade access. And France
has abandoned her far-reaching am
billions which led to construction Of
the railway. Nor do think British
and Egyptian interests would suffer.
Would Have Aid in QueIling Raids.
MuSsolini himself cannot prevent
the rain from falling in Abyssinia or
the resulting fioodwaters from reach
ing Egypt. Abyssinia cannot divert
the food. which runs through deep.
unfertile gorges, nor does she require
it. She has no areas needing irriga-
ton in the Blue Nile Basin. Lake
Tsana forms a natural reservoir, of
value to the Sudan if regulated to i'm
prove the perennial irrigation Of the
Sudan, but AbySSinia stands merely in
the position of water company which
can sell water at price. Italy would
not be likely to ask higher price.
In other respects. both Great Britain
and France would have a neighbor
competent to put down frontier raids
and slave or cattle lifting.
One has a natural feeling Of SYM
pathy with a nation threatened with
loss of its independence, and, of
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