The times-news., 1936-02-01
EMPIRE RISES
AS FASCISTS'
ARMS ADVANCE
Greatest Bridge Network
in Colonial History Is
Being Erected
BY REYNOLDS PACKARD
United Press Staff Correspondent


ASMARA, Eritrea, Geb. l.
(UP)-Thousands Of Italian en-
gineers and skilled laborers to-
day are rushing to completion IN
Eritrea and northern Ethiopia the
greatest network of bridges ever
constructed in colonial history.
The deadline for this great en-
gineering feat is May, the begin.
ming of the rainy season that Will
transform the dry plains, cupped
in between mountain ranges, into
gigantic bowls of mud and con-
vert the tinder valleys that snake
through the mountains of the
Tembien and the Taccazze into
turbulent rivers.
Trekking through Eritrea and
Ethiopia, l have seen scores OF
these bridges under construction.
They are permanent structures OF
steel and concrete. They are be-
ing built for the years to come.
They are not military pontoons,
but rather are bridges Of which
any municipality would be proud.
Many of them run parallel to
light, wooden affairs that were
thrown up hastily to facilitate the
italian advance in the beginning
of the campaign.
LIKE AMERICAN BRIDGES
One of the most important of
these bridges spans the Mareb
river on the road between Adj
Quala and Aduwa. Made of steel
and concrete, and wide enough
for two lines of heavy trucks to
pass it is typical of bridges seen
in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Only a few hundred miles from
this masterpiece of sturdy mill
tary engineering dropped the
wooden festoon that was used by
the Italian troops when they ad-
vanced 20 kilometers into Ethio-
pia on October 3, 1885. Built in
the style of a suspended railway
bridge, it was constructed in less
than two hours.
Other important bridges are
being completed between Asmara,
capital of Eritrea, and Massawa,
busiest port of the Red sea. The
last time 1 automobiled down this
cork-screw road with it's danger
Gus hair-pin bends, l counted
four important bridges that were
being built. Two of them, in the
salt plains outside of Massawa,
were especially reinforced to sup
port the Asmara-Massawa rail
way as we'll as two streams OF
heavy; wheeled traffic.
GUARDED AGAINST
GUERILLA BANDS
All the Italian bridges in Eth
opia are guarded day and night
bv soldiers to prevent any guer-
lila bands from damaging the
work that is being completed IN
record time. -,
In addition to this bridge build
ling program, Italian geographic
Iexperts are putting the mountains
and valleys of Ethiopia in their
right places on new maps.
This vast work of surveying
and replotting has been made
necessary by the fact that entire
columns of soldiers have marched
miles off their intended routes as
result of incorrect mapping OF
vital landmarks years ago. The
new maps will be models of ac-
curacy, both from the standpoint
of position and mileage, and will
include exact attitudes of noun
tain peaks. 49,,
The red and blue threadlike
lines of rivers on old maps will
he retraced so as to correspond
with the actual courses of the
Tacazze, Setit and other rivers.
Surveyors have found that num-
ber of rivers flow through entire
| " different valleys and towns
than the ones marked on charts.
FOLLOWS ROMAN
TRADITIONS
Apart from purely military
movements, this remapping is
being carried out to facilitate the
building of a great network of
roads in accordance with the ira
ditions of the ancient Romans.
Soldiers as we'll as laborers are
helping to cut these hundreds OF
miles of new thoroughfares
through mountains and over
gorges. -. -.
To complete this work in the
fastest possible time, special
service has been organized which
coordinates the findings of botn
the aviation and army. Virtually
every plane which sets out OH a
reconnaissance flight carries a
geographic expert as does almost
every troop column.
Planes are proving particular
ly helpful in the charting OF here
tofore unexplored regions through
which Italian troops must march
as they close in on strategic
points. Aviators fly over these
sectors with cameras and draft
inc boards, outlining the best
routes through rugged or barren
territory. This has proven an ef-
fective method of saving time
along the fringe of the little