Evening star., 1937-01-10

and presently rested upon the expanse
of Abyssinia which, he we'll knew.
had not yet been recognized, although
the Queen of Sheba had founded the
dynasty in $50 A. D.
When this oversight was called to
the attention of the United States. the
State Department observed that it
was not interested. Far from dis
couraged, Mr.. Skinner bided his time
until a leave of absence afforded the
opportunity of an interview with
President Theodore Roosevelt. The
iatter's fancy was struck by the prof.
ect of sending a diplomatic caravan
through the big game country and
over deserts to add new treaty Of
friendship.
1T shall be DONE" he said. "Show
me the papers in the case"
The State Department having al
ready disapproved, reference was
made to the Navy Department for
recommendations as to how an ex-
pedition to the Abyssinian capital
might be accomplished. That depart
ment submitted an endorsement set
ting forth the many difficulties Of
such an undertaking. The President
replied with a caustic endorsement to
the effect that he had asked how it
could be done, not how it could not.
TINDER these inauspicious circum-
stances, the disapproval of the
{u,o avan,,Siuo lona RI rorrarnod
the Abyssinian Diplomatic Expedition
started out.
The gunboat Machias was detailed
to convey our forces, consisting of 18
Marines. five sailors, hospital stew
ard, Lieut.. Hussey of the Navy
and myself, with the diplomatic party.
composed of Robert P. Skinner. envoy
tentiary; his brother-in-law. H. w.
Wales: DR.. A. P. Pease, all from
Massilon, Ohio, and a servant.
From the supply point of view 1t
was, of course. important to learn
something of Abyssinia before We left
the Mediterranean and we had hopes
of getting some information at Port
II
push into the SueZ we could find no
one who knew Adds Ababa, although
a waiter in a cafe had been to the
adjacent coast of Somaliland. He
told us that the country was hot
desert and that we would need
camels.
The Marine does not worry over
much about transportation. It's all
in the days work, camels or mules.
Otherwise, he'll find them, or some
thing better. You may be sure he'll
use his own legs for an emergency If
the country does not afford other
legs. So I was not particularly con-
cerned when 1t was suggested that, in
view of the empty Golfers furnished
by our unsympathetic Government,
the Marines should walk to Adds
Ababa.
But we did have to study the
ration question. Should we rely upon
our guns, and just what should we
have to load upon our camels? How
should we get water? What provisions
should we take against accident and
sickness? All these questions were
solved as we cruised out of the canal
and down the placid Red Sea until,
one day, we hove to of the low-lying
coast of French Somaliland.
A boat was lowered and a recon-
naissance party went forward to sound
the shallow depths. Swarms of bushy-
haired Somalis and Sudanese splashed
in the muddy waters with offers to
carry us ashore on their backs. And
in this manner were we set down in
the sun-baked city Of Djoubiti, a
place Of some $4,000 Somali and Issa
savages from the desert, Arab
artisans from Alden, Sudanese slaves
from Souakin, Massaouah and Kas-
sala, Banian merchants from India,