The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-04
40 MILES AWAY,
WRITER HEARS
TOWNS BOMBED
War Correspondent Watches
InVaSiOn'S Start From
Mountain Top.
CONTINUED From Page Onel


flOtilla, and the cruiser Queen Eliza
beth anchored at Valetta. Malta.
The Queen Elizabeth reinforced a
formidable feet already at Malta
including the cruiser Australia In
the harbOr now are the aircraft
carrier Courageous, 10 destroyers OF
the Sixth flotilla, the depot ship
Lucia and several submarines and
mine SWeepers.
At Haifa. Egypt, IS Jne cruiser
Ajax and "A destroyers and in the
Alden Sea. commanding the bottle
neck through which Italian supple;
must pass to reach Italy's expedi-
tionary force, are the newly arrived
Berwick, and the destroyers Dest
Duchess, Dainty, Delight, and
Diana.
The battleships Resolution, Val
liant and Revenge, three cruisers. II
deStrOyers, an aircraft carrier and
three depot ships are stationed al
Alexandra, the battleship Barham
and cruiser Dispatch at Port Said
and the battle cruisers Hood and
Gen Alessandro Pirizio- BirOli, COM
nIander-in-chief of native troops.
Advance without Incident
This column is expected to split
and make contact with the columns
on It's right and left flanks as the
operation develops.
Gen. Pirizio- Bnoi's advance was
without incident, except for the
roughness of the trail across the
river from the March River, the
frontier.
Italian road makers commenced
improving the Ethiopian trails with
in a few hours after the columns
entered.
Villagers gathered along the road
of the Italian advance, gazed impas-
sively at the invaders and in some
cases saluted the Italian flag. &C
COrding to Hervey Misser, French
observer with the army.
Airplanes, he said, showered the
villagers with 10000 manifestoes in
the Ethiopian Amharic language.
He picked up one and gave it to
this correspondent on his return TO
headquarters.
Scared Natives Flee TO Hills
It was announced that n some
cases villagers placed their white
Shammas, robes, on the thatcheo
roofs of their homes as a gesture
Of peace to Italian aviators.
Most of the population never hao
seen an airplane before, and it was
reported that in one Village the
entire population fed to the hills
when they heard the planes APP
preaching.
There have been no reports oil
damage. But it was learned that
the desperate squadron of Count
GaIez7O Ciano. MuSsoliniS brother
in-Iaw, made the governors palace
in the center of Aduwa its target
and it was indicated that damage
was considerable.
I witnessed the beginning of the
invasion Of Ethiopia from remark
able grand stand seat.
It was the observation post OF
Gen. Emilio De Bono. commander
in-Chief. and his general staff-s
barbwired post on top of noun
tain on the frontier. rising Steeply
1000 feet above the plain of Asamo
Sees CianO's BOmberS Return
From there I heard plainly the
heavy explosions of the bombs
rained on Aduwa 80 miles away.
heard also the bombing outside Adj
graf and I saw Count CianOS bomb
ers returning to their base, flying
high above us, after dropping thell
CargOCS of destruction.
In the plain far below I could see
rising clouds of dust from the
tramping feet of the columns adj
vancing across the BeleSa and the
March Rivers.
Gen. De Bono arrived an hour
before the takeof with Gen. Mel
Chiade Gabba. his chief of staff
and other staff members. and paced
I'D 9ld down in the darkness.
Advance on 40-Mile Front
ONLY a few blinking lights could
be seen in the valley before us. The
east gradually paled and the birds
began singing. The infantry on q
front OF 40 miles converglng on Adu-
wa and Adigrat. crossed the from
tier and commenced their operation
To wipe out the humiliation which
Italy suffered when an army was
sIar-ntered 80 years ago.
light tanks, machine guns and
artillery followed the single lnfan-
trvmen in constant stream.
The first airplanes appeared from
the north, flying very high-recon-
Nuisance planes. eyes of the mod
ern army.
AS the sun rose Gen. De Bono
and his staff ranged themselves
around a big table of maps in the
open air. We gathered around.
It was all amazingly calm ano
deliberate and it was difficult to rea-
lie that an invasion which was
shaking the world was actually un-
der way. There was no excitement
Simply a feeling of tension.
100000 in Invading Army
Gen Gabba told us that the
troops we're moved up to the from
tier Thursday ready to cross at the
zero hour.
At sos p. III. We heard the flrSt
thuds of the bombs at Adigrat. ano
then at $50 a series of heavy eX-
ploSions at Aduwa. This caused
futter of excitement.
Al S.45 about two miles above us
droned - Caproni bombing planes
returning from the towns.
1t was difficult to get details OF
casualties or whether there was any
resistance to the advance. Gen
Gabba said that considerably more
than 100000 men we're involved II
the present operation. composed o.
six divisions With auxiliary troops
Once across the frontier the adj
vance Is made difficult by the sue
Cessive waves of mountain ranges