Evening star., 1935-06-16

by what is perhaps the worst railroad
in the world, needlessly tortuous for
deliberately uneconomical reasons, he
set about to do some hunting, going
first after a great man-hlling bull
hippopotamus Of which report reached
him. He had some thrilling adven-
lures. some narrow escapes, and ac-
quired a great deal of information
that would be denied to the average
traveller content merely to reach the
capital, see the King. note the ex-
traordinsry customs of the people. suf-
fer the torments Of troublesome
climate and then emerge with the
materials for an average travel book.
That, as noted. was several years
ago. But the net of European intrigue
and design was drawing In upon Abys-
sinia even then. Now 1t has been
frightened, and hence the reprinting of
the book, with new preface and an
added chapter. bringing 1t up to date
in the sense that 1t is now q document
of interest and importance relative to
the newest scene of possible conflict,
with incalculable chances for the in
volvement Of the major powers in war.
This is frankly a pro- Ethiopian doc
ument. Mr.. MacCreagh sees in Abys-
sinia Ethiopia the victim Of avarice.
commercial and political. The map
tells the story. In the northwestern
section lies Lake Tsana, the source
of the Blue Nile, from which come
the enriching inundations that keep
Egypt fertile. Great Britain has a
very keen interest in Lake Tsana.
which lies somewhat dangerously close
70 Italy's colony Of Eritrea, and the
waters of which could be diverted from
the Blue Nile by charge Of dynamite.
On the eastern side is French Somali-
land. British Somaliland and Italian
Somaliland. with British territory
completing the Gordon on the west
and south.
Just at present there Is an acute
issue between Ethiopia-to give It the
old-new name which Is now oficial-
and Italy, ostensibly ever q vague
boundary on the southeastern nank
of the realm of Halle Sellassie, the
Emperor. Swords are rafting over
In Italy, men are marching, supplies
are being transported. In London.
NLCAC bAlC 4Sd1lHl AIlONCS dIC UCl1lS
jealousy watched, there are some
plain intimations regarding the pos
sibility of forbidding the use of the
Suez Canal In case Italy should un-
dertake a war against Abyssinia. At
Rome the memory Of the humiliation
suffered at Adowa. just on the Ethi-
opian side of the Eritrean boundary,
in 1896, rankleS more and more Bit
terly.
In his new foreword to the re-
printed book Mr.. MacCreagh swiftly
reviews the course of Ethiopian his
tory. revealing the intrigue that has
beset that land for many years. For
long spell there was q lively war Of
diplomacy between England and Ger
many-that was before The shots were
fired at Sarajevo, followed by the
outburst of the greatest. most mur-
derous cannonading the world has
ever known and resulting in the elm.
ination Of Germany as a factor in
African affairs. Then later came an
overturn In Ethiopia whereby Ras Ia
fari. nephew Of the great Menelik.
overthrew Lii Yassu. Menelik's son
and immediate successor. decidedly
promoted overturn. Nov, with Ger
many out of the picture. the scene
shifts from time to time, always to-
ward the development OF Ethiopia.
But the Blue Nile" says the au-
thor, still rises in Ethiopia and must
never be diverted from the Anglo
Egyptian Sudan. There Is still much
gold-and platinum and oil-in the
western hills. Ethiopia still has her
fertile valleys and salubrious white
mans climate. italy still has her
arid deserts. France still has her
strategic railroad. Alas for poor rich
Ethiopial"
That strategic railroad is now joint
ly owned by Italy and France and