Evening star., 1936-05-04
Ethiopia's Doom.

WIN Halle SeldSSle III lllSIlL W lOlClSA
refuge and Adds Ababa in chaos, Ethio-
pia's organized resistance to the Italian
invasion is at an end. Impending occu-
patton of the capital by Marshal Bado-
glio's army will for all practical purposes
seal the country's doom and mark its
conquest. Thus the Fascist leglons have
accomplished within seven months
military feat which experts predicted
might require years. Those calculations
were based on expectations of an Ethio-
plan resistance which failed to material
ize. The black tribesmen offered heroic
defense. but it never had chance
against the overwhelming force hurled
against them by a superior foe equipped
with every implement of destruction
known to modern warfare. Even with
the advantages of climate and topog-
raphy which they possessed the Ethlo-
plans could not withstand the Fascist
onslaught. The wonder is that they held
it at bay as long as they did.
While Gen. Graziani's army has not yet
Subdued the warriors who have been
blocking his advance on Harar, Badoglio'S
possession of Adds Ababa unqueStionably
means that resistance in the south, too,
will soon crumble. Whether it does so
Immediately, or later, nothing now stands
in the way of MuSsolini's formal annexa-
ton of Ethiopia 1t may be that, dupli-
eating the experiences of France in
Morocco and of Great Britain in Africa
and India, following conquest OF native
territory, the task of subjugation will be
prolonged and costly. But Mussolini's
war is essentially won. Modern times
record no campaign conceived in more
wanton ruthlessnesS or brazen disregard
of international law. Yet the world now
faces in Africa an accomplished fact that
no power or group of powers is likely to
venture to upset.
Thus, when the League Council re-
assemblies at Geneva on May IL, for the
purpose of deciding what to do about
sanctions, it will be confronted by dis
agreeable dilemma. AS things have turned
out, MuSsolini has inflicted humili-
ating defeat, not only upon Ethiopia, but
upon the League. There are suggestions
that the Council may consider the clos
ing of the Suez Canal. But that desperate
recourse is altogether improbable. 1t not
only could not save Ethiopia, but, as II
Duce has persistently threatened, it
would almost automatically provoke
European war.
The probability is, as British Foreign
Minister Eden in an address to his polit-
ical constituents on Saturday night
sadly intimated, that Britain and the
League will elect to look upon the Ethio-
plan business as closed chapter and
proceed to make the best of badly
bungled bargain. 1t is too early to gauge
what will be the effects upon British
imperial policy and the status Of the
League, that are bound to flow from the
East African debacle. London and
Geneva alike emerge from it with almost
devaStatingly shattered prestige. The
principle of collective security" espe-
cially for smaller nations, has received
a deadly blow. With its demolition, it is
much to be feared, certain other powers,
aggressively minded, will be encouraged
to attempt fate along lines which Italy
has triumphantly pursued. The world
contemplates with a shudder the Fascist
demonstration that mankind still in
habits a planet where might is capable of
prevailing over right.