Evening star., 1936-01-16
4-M|LE ADVANCE
CLAIMED BY ITALY
Bodoglio Reports Warriors
Routed on Southern
Ethiopian Front.
BACKCROUND--

Making comparatively SlotC prog
Tess on either northern or south
erB fronts Of Ethiopian steasioH,
italian arusies hare depended
greatly upon afr squadrons for
more spectacular "successes."
Thus far, most OF these haue
been scored behind the Hines. start
ing NTH tiro days of bombardtng
Dessye. Ethiopian field head
quarters. During these raids,
Americas hospital tDds damaged.
subsequently, Red Cross units sup
ported by SUeden and Egypt also
haze suffered bombing damage.
brought protests.
Meanwhile, rest OF Europe op-
poses italian program; Britain
maintains strong feet In Mediter.
rane1n and League continues eco
Yonstc pressure.
By the Associated Press.
ROME, January 16.-A sweeping
bitterly fought Italian advance along
the entire Somaliland front wai
claimed today by the Fascist high
command In Ethiopia.
Marshal Pietro Badoglio. In wireless
dispatches from the African theatel
Of war, announced complete success
in an advance of more than 40 mile,
during Q Ganale Dorya River battle
which claimed unestimated Ethiopian
losses.
There was no mention Of italian
casualties.
Badoglio wirelessed that the Gan
ale Dorya battle was concluding with
complete success for U.s." and that
"our troops advanced over 10 kilom-
eters (about a miles along the en-
tire front, overcoming fierce resist
ance from the enemy"
Ethiopiaus Retiring"
Troops Of Ras Desta Demt,l, son-fn-
law Of Emperor Halle Selassie. are ire
tiring In disorder and our troops are
pursuing" the marshal reported.
Badoglio's communique continued:
Strong enemy rearguard forces,
hidden IN caves, are trying vainly to
check the rout.
The enemy losses are considerable
and will be determined later.
The 6omaliland air forces bonn
barded enemy concentrations at Dag
gah Bur and Sssa Baneh and actively
co-operated with our troops in their
action.
"On the Eritrean front lombard
ment squadrons yesterday attacked
Ethiopian encampments and masses Of
warriors In the Andino region with
visible effectiveness.
Fascist advices from the front pre-
Uously had said more than 100000
warriors were engaged along the en-
tire sector In the most important"
battle Of the three.months-long war
between Italy and Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian defenders, although
greater In numbers, were described as
In full retreat"
Dubats Face Ethiopians.
Fifty thousand fierce native Dubats
of Italian Somaliland, enlisted in the
army Of Gen Rudoifo GRAHAM, op-
posed $1,000 Ethiopians, under RaS
Desta Demtu, son-in-law Of Emperor
Halle SelaSsie and Ethiopian COM
mander in chief on the southern
front, the advices reported.
The italian forces, swinging their
forces into action, also
employed scores Of tanks and armored
cars In the conflict, as well as the
native shock troops"
The Fascist invaders precipitated the
clash, lashing out at the three Ethi-
opian columns, commanded by Ras
Desta, which had long been converg-
ing slowly on the main Italian south
ern army. centered about Dolo. on the
frontier between Ethiopia
and Italian Somaiiland.
Although Marshal Bsdoglio reported
yesterday from his northern front
headquarters that the Ethiopian Of
fensive on the Dolo front was smashed
his communique said:
Fighting continues along the entire
front"