Evening star., 1936-01-25
Hundreds Killed and Hurt
in Encounter Lasting
Three Days.
TRIUMPH CELEBRATION
BEGUN IN Adds ABABA
Officials See Prospect of Rewin.
ming Half.Lost Northern Area
With Aid of Rains.
BACKGROUND

several airplane bombing erpedt-
tions by Italians, pas reported in
Ethiopia from middle November
to middle January. Last iDeek, as
League OF Nations Council pre-
pared to consider further policy in
connection with Uar, Italian
sources announced major sue
.cesses: Ethiopians made counter
claims.
Principal international depelop.
nent of week Uas disclosure OF al.
lance betWeen Britain and four
Mediterranean nations in face OF
possible Italian attack.
BY tho Associated Press.
A terrific battle in Northern Eth
opia, in which unquestionably many
hundred men were killed and wounded
was stated and confirmed by both
Italian and Ethiopian governments
today.
However. other than agreeing that
the battle lasted about three days
with a great number of casualties
more than during all the rest of the
campaign put together-the govern
ment announcements were exactly
contradictory.
-Encirclement Defeat Claimed.
The Italians claimed that the Eth
opians had attempted to encircle a
division of Eritrean native troops and
Fascist blackshirt division in the
mountains of the Tembien area but
had been repulsed with heavy losses,
leaving the Italians completely VIC
torious in the field
On the other hand, the Ethiopians
claimed that the two Italian units
had been outflanked and cut to pieces
by armies under the command of Ras
Kassa and Ras Seyoum.
Italian authorities said the terri
torial gain in the alleged victory had
been only slight, but that the moral
effect on the Ethiopians would be
large; the Ethiopians said the alleged
victory gave promise that, with the
aid of continued rains, they would
sweep the Italians out Of at least half
the territory lost in Northern Ethiopia.
A victory celebration began in Adds
Ababa.
Casualties Put at TAB.
The Italians set the casualties at
TAB for their own forces and 5000 for
the Ethiopians
Marshal Pietro Badoglio listed his
casualties as 433 Italians and $40
natives serving in the Italian Army.
Premier Mussolini dispatched l,400
more soldiers to East Africa, among
them his nephew, Gennaria Moschi.
Ten Cannons Captured.
The Ethiopian war Office reported
capture of 10 Italian cannons and
100 machine guns.
League Of Nations members awaited
the action next week of a committee
Of experts designated to canvass the
effectiveness Of existing sanctions
against Italy, declared aggressor nation
in the war.
Following the committees study, an
assembly of oil experts has been called
for February to consider the prac-
ticability Of addition of an oil embargo
to the punitive measures against the
Fascists.
Council Quits Geneva.
It's nineteenth session adjourned
without consideration Of the war and
its problems, the League Council de-
parted Geneva. The next convocation
has been scheduled for May. In the
session interrupted by the death OF
King George v Of Great Britain, the
international body settled the question
Of observance of its decisions by the
Free City Of Danzig and the Russo.
Uruguayan Communistic dispute.
The italian reply to British
memorandum disclosing existence OF
q f1ve-power Mediterranean mutua
assistance pact was transmitted t.
League members.
Arbitrary. non-existent hypothesis
was the phrase Mussolini used to
describe the basis of pact of Great
Britain, France, Greece, Turkey and
Yugoslavia. The premier, sending his
protest directly to the nations, ignored
the League Sanctions Committee.