MENELEK STJLL ALIVE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1673, 13 February 1913, Page 6

MENELEK STJLL ALIVE.

.J.- ■ s■■ ■--■>-.. V . (■ ■. ■ ;. • - >.-■ : : REPORTu OF -■ DEATHV-DENißiv j \

Cy\Teleßfaph'-Prc3s 'Association—Cbpyrljrht y. 'V :,vj '^ dt " s ; . Ababa,.. February 11. ,'

:*''A' sevefe'i-cdnflictJtoofciplaoe'Rt King Blenelek's palace between the guard and '.(troops'-;.ordered '.by ; Lij Ynsu. to .replaco jthem...:|'j'-/.';.': '..'■. '• '■/ ; :'. -.-■ | -Thousands.'of troops l , surrpnnd; thaJpaL-', fcce/'-''.-•>,'.:' ';'.'"; ■v.'';: I /y^';--:;^;-; v v l j,-;' 'Menelck,/whose death.was Reported re- ' ehtly.'is now stated ,tp be,.still .alive.

K- '■;,: -':•■;' '' A ,;PITCHED BATTLE.; ;, ; :, |:';V'; : : ' [■.'■ (Rec./ February 13i ,0.35; a.m.) ,v. J I. .',■'£":':< ":'' . '/^AddJs ; ;Aa«ba,.Fe>rua'ry i il2v;, | ■ '' . The refusal of an old; chief ..guarding [;; ; ',M^ f ■' " .to .a., pitched ; battle,, : lasting 1 /'two;'hours. |', -■ The defender's,. used cannon. and mnchine- !.';- from v ' "entering the palace..-. '-.;" <i<;v '■■'-.'•• >'■:'/, ..The report'of King' MeWckVdeath : has !".•■: become' aV.poribdical .occurrence.; -The per- [';', P]« xi T g feature; of. thei'mystery■'• is that t' .''■■■ ••Vv'Menelek may .hayo, been dead all . the V .', while, and-that -the denials of his death' i,' ; .: mre the real-errors."-'-,,. , : ' '■ • . ■ ■''."' |'.. ';.:.,'■ -"How difficult,, it.'is - : to ; W sure" on the' [:;., ;:.. subject is; apparent■■'■ from -'the'■'uarratiye j,'-' of.vLord:',Cranworth,• told by.hia a year, {'.; ■'■'■i ago.iafter,h'stay of-five-'months in Abys-- *',-':■.'.,: ..siliia.,.; jlj.;--.;.,;:';;';• v. ■;"■'.':'. :■' ■•,-V' : ; •'■;; : -i i !';:.">: , -"W>'niet the" native iloctor ; (he :, sai'd/, ; j'v .-..who.is.; supposed to attend,King-Mcnelek.' f .'■' :-He received; his medical training in- Lonif'-.. ■ i-jdon, and- spoko.English : very,--well. I I'. ■.; asked; him. if ;it ;.werb was f-; . ■%■'■.,. really alive,' and'he frankly acknowledged l i.-i-:-,'-.-v.: that he. didinbt know;.'/'He: went, he told ['-■;.' /me, every, threpmonths to tho "palace at [' ' V.i .Addis Abebal "arid a figure-was brought in J. ■',', 'to'.him. there..'.'This:figure .was,:s'watlied : • f ,:\,: in bandagesi.from.head ;to <tot>t t -and aj,. ; ■'.' great v ;maak,.in;'.which , ;tYEb: holes"we're'xut • : , V for. the ,ej-es,..was fitted over the'face. •He 1 ; ;->!> V was'always told that this-was Menclok, ,'•':■' .; . bnt ho did not know,'as the whole of the ; ■;;; body dnd "head was cdmpletely hidden; 'It (; : ■■'■;■ : , ,is • difficult- to'.sny'-: what 'tho Abyssininhs - ~'.-.,' but'-I'shpnld say-''the great-biilk ;': /, of ( th&'..t population, believe 'the? King -.is V. ' -'■ dead." "•::'■;-'«-'-,'.i.(:i, ■',!•...; i";':j; ;;;-..' ■•-.■ i- .-..:>; jWhcfhfl'r; the King isddea r or .alive; -it -. ,;' is certain that, ho was born in 18-i2,-and' : j..-.'- ;,;. succeeded to the throne in 1889. ', i. ';.' .MeneloLhad no hejr,,but,he, proclaimed f ;-'. , Lij Tasii, son of his..daughter, as his iV." l .'■'■'• successor,-.in May,, 1910. . Lii Yasu has, i .':-,.■ bwin's to the illness of Menelek. siiice 1909, | ■■.'.:■ fulfilled the functions generally performs■■-,■ ' ed.:by ■;■■.'.",,• J.'-. ■-.'..'..•.'.,-;■■;.:'.'.