ADDAS ABABA RIOTS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 379, 10 March 1937, Page 5

ADDAS ABABA RIOTS

STORIES OF MASSACRE. LORD CRANBORNE’S REPORT. Italian Newspapers Annoyed. Press Association—Copyright. (Received 11 a.m.) Rome, March 9. The newspapers describe the reply of Lord Cranborne, Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, in the British House of Commons, about the Addis Ababa reprisals, as another insult to Italy.

A British Official Wireless message says Lord Cranborne had a number of questions to answer in the House of Commons on the reported disorders in Addis Ababa. "While it will be realised that precise details are in the circumstances difficult to obtain,” he replied, “the Foreign Secretary has received information tending to show that, following the attempted assassination of Marshal,Graziani, scenes of grave disorder occurred in Addis Ababa in the course of which reprisals of a severe character were taken by the Italian soldiery, resulting in a large number of deaths and extensive destruction of property. I am glad to say that so far as British subjects and protected persons are concerned those who were arrested when the outbreak occurred have now all been released at the instance of the acting British Consul-General, and that no British lives were lost.” Pressed in supplementary questions to confirm Press reports of a savage massacre, the Under-Secretary repeated that it was impossible to give detailed information. He added that be regretted to say that reports the Foreign Secretary had received partly bore out some of the accounts which had appeared.