Evening star., 1941-10-04
Third OF a Series.
Ry GEORGE WELLER.

nN "Fbh'F NELJfh.
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
ChicagO Daily News
GAMBELA. Province of Gala ST.
damo Western Ethiopia This vii
lage, marking the head of naviga-
ton on the Baro River. which.
through the Sobat River. enters the
White Nile. is the first point in
1taly'S Ethiopian Empire held as
well as captured by Belgium's trans
African expedition from the Congo
II lies where the Sobat emerges
from the Ethiopian mountains into
the Sudanese plain. about 40 miles
and 1000 feet below the Italians
headquarters at Saio, whence my
earlier dispatches were written To-
day its dusty little square beside the
200-foot-Wide river is lined with
scores Of Italian motor vehicles,
ranging from fast little Fiat cam
palgn cars to seven-ton Lancia
trucks.
On the elephantine fankS of the
tancias are painted designations
Ike "GrUppo Motorizzata di Harar"
(motorized unit of Harar. or Har-
rar, testifying to the distance that
the Italians had retreated across
Ethiopia striving for a final rabbit
punch against the Anglo Egyptian
Sudan. The single battalion of Bel
glans blocked the blow before it
could be delivered.
knowledge Saves Drivers.
Belgian subalterns, some with ex-
perlence at Narvik in the French
Foreign Legion, now sleep on cots in
the back Of these trucks exactly like
American long-haul drivers. BY day
they keep easy surveillance over
some 30 Italian truck drivers who
have been temporarily saved from
the British prison camp at Jubdo,
near Ghinbi, because they alone
know the secret Of the Lancia's eight
changes of gearshift. The Italian
chaufeurs are thankful that their
knowledge Of the multiple cluth has
saved them from crossing Ethiopia
as prisoners Of the Ethiopian guer-
rilla patriots. whose notion of suuar-
ing old accounts is emascula ton
They are being paid wages plus liv-
ing expenses in accordance with
International law and appear happy
that their war is over.
The Italians defended Gambela
bitterly. They recognized that should
they forfeit the village beside the
Sobat, where they had dug in for
attack, they would be forced to re-
treat up into the mountain strong
hold of Saio CDembi DolloD where
Gen. Pietro GaZzera. MuSSolini's
former war minister, had established
his headquarters. Furthermore. if
the planned Italian offensive against
the Anglo-E Egyptian Sudan aim
ing at possession of the chain of air.
dromeS along the White Nile in the
British Middle East rear and at sew
erance of the West African sources
of American supplies as well as
South Africa from Cairo and the
Khartoum headquarters should
suddenly be launched by Gen. Gaz-
zera Gambela was the only point
whence either motorized or river
expedition could start because it
was the only undefended doorway
upon the Sudanese marshes. As long
as Gen. Gazzera held Gambela he
knew he might be able to take the
offensive. but If the Belgians were
able to obtain possession the Italian
position would become defensive only
and the Fascists would be walled in
side Ethiopia.
British Flag Floats.
Gambela is barely large enough
TO support single country store
full of tin pans, cheap candy beads
and operated by ubiquitous Ethi-
opian Greek But several single
story. -drenched barracks and
a small radio station lying beside
an inland arm of the Baro River
testify that England has long under
stood Gambelas political impor-
tance. Here, many miles inside the
Ethiopian frontier. the British flag
floats overhead and the Sudanese
consta ahulary-recruited from the
tall, cranehke Chillouck people of
the Nllotic n1arsheS-defend his
Britannia majesty's tiny possession.
Before Halle Selassie's empire
crumbled the British obtained from
the Negus a territorial concession
with riparian rights here amounting
to the equivalent of an American
city block, but much more meaning
full. This outpost of empire-which
serves as an excellent listening post
for NilotiC politics along the Ethio-
plan watershed-iS legally as British
as HYDE Park. Curiously enough,
the Italians, when Conquering Ethi-
opls, allowed Mai John Morris,
who has been encharged with the
Cambela concession for Is years. to
remain with the garrison of Sudan
5se constabulary. entirely surrounded
by Mussolini's empire.
Warned of War Declaration.
Mai. Morris is a tall. blond Briton
In his latter flfties who spent sew
eral rough and tumble years in
Western United States before Amer
lea became too tame for his taste.
The political officers friendship with
the Duke of Aosta during prewar
years was rewarded when Aosta.
then 1taly's viceroy, sent a private
message to little England in Gam
bella warning that a declaration of
war by Mussolini was impending,
thus enabling Mai Morris to escape
TO Nasir. barely over. the Sudanese
boundary.
The foresighted AoSta, now a
wlsoser in British hanr<. also gave