The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-01
BY STEWART BROWN

BY STEWART BROWN
 Copyright 1033, by United Press.)
 Rome, May 1.-CUP)-Italys mo- torized columns, ruHnbling over mountain trails and through tor- rents swelled by rains, advanced ever nearer to Adds Ababa today, while over every mile of Italy from the Alps to Sicily men, and women and children waited for the flash that the capital had fallen.
 Frequent reports spread that the city had been entered.
 Marshal Pietro Badoglio, however in his communique today, told of calculated progress of great mili- tary force moving along roughly parallel mountain roads and trails toward the capital
 One column occupied Debra Sina 771z miles from Adds Ababa, on the sye-AnkoberAddis Ababa road, and continued on to take the dominating peak of Ternaber, 10,- 824 feet high, five miles farther on
 Another forded the Gadula tor rent, 82 miles from the city, on the road running to the west of the Ankober road.
 Reports Are Behind
 But these official reports were necessarily many miles behind the clanking columns of fortresses on wheels which were threading the twisting roads in the highlands. Badoglio's communiqueu of today covered only operations up to yes- terday.
 His communique, reporting on the eastern front, confirmed the capture of Daggah Bur, north of Sasa Baneh and said that Ras Nassibu. the Ethiopian commander-in-chief in the east, was fleeting northward toward Jijiga.
 It was asserted that 5000 Ethio- plans were killed or wounded in fighting in the Sasa Baneh sector between April IA and yesterday, and the Italians admitted losses were 50 officers and 1900 men--of whom l,400 were natives of East Africa, killed or wounded.
 But 1t was the western theater of war that occupied the mind of every Italian.
 RumOrS About Capital
 London, May 1--(UP)-The Ex- change Telegraph Addis Ababa cor respondent flashed today that Italian troops had entered the city.
 Dispatches from Rome and from correspondents with the Italian army, though these were delayed, had indicated that the entrance might not be made until the week end, and the Exchange report was not confirmed from other sources.
 The Exchange correspondent said that composite force of grenadiers, Alpinists and Fascist Blackshirt militia, supported by artillery and engineers, entered Adds Ababa this morning.
 London communications companies reported Adds Ababa still in norma, wireless communication at noon C a. m. EST).
 The Italian embassy expressed be- lief that the report of the fall o' Addis Ababa was premature.
 Rome, May 1.-(55:20 a. m. EST) -(UP)-Officials said today thai they knew nothing of London re. ports that the Italians had entered Addis Ababa. At the wireless sta ton, 1t was said that at Il a. m 6 a. m. EST) the Addis Ababa sta. ton was stil transmitting dispatch. es in English.
 The government press bureau said that up to Il 1t had received no word of the city's fall.
 Addis Ababa, May 1.-(UP)-Th' Aduis Ababa radio station is abou to close, 1t was announced today.
 The closure was taken possibly tt mean the emperor and governmen are evacuating and that the struggle again the invaders has not beer entirely abandoned.
 With the enemy rapidly drawint in on the capital from the north the government decided to take t' the hills to the south, leaving Addi Ababa undefcnded and in charge O the local municipal administration. Emperor Halle Selassie was ex pected to go with them
 London, May 1.--CUP)-A Bri tish agency report that Empero Halle Selassie is meeting the diplo matic corps in Adds Ababa today t' discuss new British peace pro posais evoked an official denia here that any new proposals ha' been made.