Evening star., 1936-01-14

were fed up with the ballyhoo the
Fascists we're raising over the prowess
of their aviators while the regular
army men got no share whatsoever.
Within the stan there we're jealousies,
too. Trained officers had frequently
to bow before the amateurish ideas
of the Fascist commanders.
The army had not reached even the
Amba Alagi pass. leading to Adds
Ababa, where the Italians had ar
rived in 1896 and were driven back to
be defeated at Aduwa. and the season
was already far advanced.
The troops he had with him. both
Fascists and regulars. were not really
first class. Mussolini had taken care
to send to Ethiopia the men who might
have caused trouble in Italy in case
things were not going well. The Fas-
cist militia were drawn from the
Naples and other southern regions.
They were Fascists, all right, but it
would not take much to make them
Communists. Because they were
potential troublesome elements in Italy
they had been drafted for service in
East Africa.
Fears Trouble Among Men.
The regulars contained divisions re-
cruited from Istria and the Italian
Tyrol-an Austrian province until 1918.
Their reliability in Italy was also ques-
tionable. The discipline was satisfac-
tory as long as everything went all
right. But Badoglio. who knows his
men, Is worried lest these men should
prove troublesome In case the Italians
have to settle down and remain in
active during the rainy season.
The new Italian commander in chief
decided to resume the offensive. He
sent the necessary reinforcments to
Graziani, but 1t was too late.
The Ethiopians began to mobilize
their bands in October. Because of
the lack of transport-some had to
travel as much as 500 miles on foot
the mobilization was not completed
until December. At that time there
were no less than $50, 900 at the dis
posal of Selassie.
Encouraged by the inactivity Of the
Italians and disregarding the effect Of
the Fascist bombing planes, the Ethio-
plans became active On the southern
front they menaced the long line of
communications of Graziani and
forced him to withdraw closer to his
base. placing him on the defensive. too.
In the north. Badoglio threw a num-
Der of battalions outside the en-
trenched line to give the impression
of another offensive and ordered the
air squadrons to resume q relentless
air bombardment.
Hampered by Rome.
But here again he was hampered
BY Rome. Mussolini had received in
formation from Count de Chambrun,
the French Ambassador In Rome, of
the Laval-Hoare peace plan and did
not want to jeopardize the possibility
Of a settlement by further military
operation. Badoglio tried to persuade
his chief that the best kind of terms
can be obtained when the army is
victorious in the field, but Mussolini
was satisfied with the occupation of
the Aduwa- -Makale region, which gave
Italy the entire Tigre Province. and
did not want to go any further.
When the Laval-Hoare proposals
failed he ordered Badoglio to move on.
But it was too late. The Ethiopians
were concentrated In force. They had
wiped out the advanced post bat
talions. The remains had to be with
drawn inside the barbed wire defenses.
The Ethiopian army concentrated at
Dolo was seriously threatening Grazi-
ants 10000 men.
Reinforcements are being rushed now
from Italy to Mogadichou. They are
Alpine troops, Of Austrian stock, who
gave quite . little trouble to the
italian officers, before leaving Italy.
Rainy Season Starts.
The short rainy season already has
started. It will not last more than q
week or two, but Is enough to destroy
most Of the carefully built roads. The
second rainy season will catch the
Italians before these roads have been
rebuilt. Badoglio cannot get this year
to Adds Ababa and Mussoiini knows
1t now. He has subordinated military
strategy to political considerations and
this has been fatal. The Italian army
must henceforth remain on the de-
fensive until next October.
The situation in Italy, while on the
sl,rfacA Safisfacfoy-v In rAol llv y,,ocf nm,
satisfactory. The expenses Of the cam
paign are heavy. The soldiers in East
Africa are paid lire q day. The eco
nomic boycott Of the League has not
affected seriously the purchases Of
italy aboard. But the italian govern
ment must pay for everything it buys
from the sanctionist nations In gold
and generally twice the market price.
Bootleg products are always expensive.
For instance, 1t buys cattle to feed
the army from the British colony Of
Kenya. The cattlemen are profiteer-
ing because Of the embargo applied BY
the British government.
The supplies which are being sent
regularly to East Africa must be taken
BY boat through the sues Canal and
the Suex Canal charges are extremely
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