Evening star., 1936-11-13
ETHIOPIAN WAR
THRILLS RELATED
Edward Neil, A. P. Corre-
spondent, Addresses Man
aqinu Editors Association.
n the Associstec Press.

- the ASbOClSteC Elcoc'
CHICAGO, November l3.-The
hardships and the humor of covering
war In Ethiopia were described to
members of the Associated Press
Managing Editors Association yes
terday by Edward Neil. who was
front line reporter for the Associated
Press In the Italo- Ethiopian conflict.
Neil was among several speakers at
Q session of shop talk" held by the
more than 200 newspaper executives
attending the Associations annual
convention here.
He got q medal in Ethiopia-but he
had to give it back.
Recounting the incident, he said
he was awakened one morning in
Adds Ababa, told to put on his boots
and appear on the parade ground.
Medal Belonged to Officer.
"Well. they gave me gold medal. |"
he said with grin. "As was walk
ing from the parade ground a be-
whiskered officer tapped me on the
shoulder and asked me to give his
medal back"
1t developed the medal had merely
been loaned for the ceremony. Neil
got one of his own later, and he also
was decorated by the Ethiopian gov
srpment for his journalistic work.
NeE spoke Of the rigors of censor
ship and the uncertainty of getting
a story through after it was written,
commenting it was like throwing a
bottle into the sea and hoping a ship
. would pick it Up"
He described the fighting between
the Italians and Ethiopians as re-
lentless, with no quarter on either
side. He gave no credit to the
Ethiopians as rifle marksmen, but said
they were deadly with their short
swords, fashioned somewhat like
boomerangs.
The editors were given an eye-wit-
ness account Of the death Of an
italian priest, Fra Juliani, slain by
an Ethiopian swordsman when he
left the protection of his own lines
to administer the last sacrament to
q dying soldier Such evidences of
heroism. Neil said, we're frequent
among the Italian conquerors.
Another speaker at yesterdays ses-
sion, presided over by Oliver Owen
Kuhn, managing editor of The Wash
ington Evening Star, general chair
man of the association, was John
Evans. chief of the Associated Press
foreign service.
Evans declared the two American
continents were the only places in
the world in which there appeared nc
- present likelihood of armed conflict.
Spain Declared Symbolic.
In q general discussion of world
Affairs as he found them mirrored in
the cables passing daily through his
office in New York, Evans said the
situation in Spain was symbolic ol
Europe"
Spain, to start with, Is an uncer.
tainty," he declared. "An Europe i
nebulous."
Dealing with most of the majol
possibilities of trouble in Europe, he
discussed what might happen in th<
event that Russia, "as q leader" ano
France, "as possible supporter,
went to the aid of. defeated lib.
eral government In Spain.
other speakers on the afternoon
program, which included discussion.
OF election and convention service.
and news writing. were Basil Walters
OF the Register and Tribune, Des
Moines; Roy Roberts of the Star, Kan.
sas City; Luther Feeger of the Palla.
dunn, Richmond. Ind; E. S. Beck OF
the Chicago Tribune, M v. Atwood
OF the Gannett newspapers. Roches-
ter, N. Y, and L. D. HotchkiSs of the
Times, Los Angeles, Calf.
banquet occupied the editors last
night, with another day Of technical
discussions before the adjournment
tonight.