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Ethiopia In The News Again

Italy Hastens Detence Work

glNCE Italy has fulfilled her contract in the Rome-Berlin Axis and proved her desire to extend her influence in Africa, where the British and French territories come in close contact with her colonies there, as well as to gain complete control of the Mediterranean, Ethiopia again enters the picture, writes H. Pickering Bush in the Christian Science Monitor. • Libya, one of Italy's older and more productive colonies, borders on its western frontier Tunis aftd other French colonies; and on its eastern frontier is Egypt. Ethiopia is the heart of East Africa, and is of vital importance to Italy. Libya is in a position to receive some supplies and military aid with sufficient facility across a few hundred miles of sea which separate it from Italy. Very different is the case of Ethiopia. In war between Italy and Britain Ethiopia is cut off from Italy. The only means of communication would be by radio, and by a hazardous attempt of isolated planes to pass beyond the range of British antiaircraft guns. For this reason, Ethiopia would be obliged to rely on its own daily life and resources to resist a possible revolt of the natives as well as attacks from the enemy on the frontiers, and, very probably, to conduct a war of aggression itself. That is why the situation of Ethiopia is of great interest especially as war between Italy and Britain must needs be closely related to the trend of war developments in Africa. An Italian defeat in her colonies would have a profound psychological and military repercussion in that country. In October, 1935, Italy declared war on Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, and on May 9, 1936, Mussolini declared that, as Addis Ababa had been occupied by the Italian army, the campaign had come to a close. At that time, however, the conquest of Ethiopia was by no means completc. A large part of the population living in the innermost regions of the country had maintained an anarchie attitude and into those distant regions rebels and their chiefs had disappeared after the campaign to reorganise their forces to resist the Italian troops that wero occupying the country. It was, therefore, not until the beginning of 1937 that the occupation of Ethiopia could be called complete. Has Italy been able to prepare her new colony during the last three years for the present emergency? At the time of the outbrcak of war in Europe, there was a good deal of apprehension in the ofTicial circles of the colonial Government at Addis Ababa. Had Italy entered into the conflict then, Ethiopia would have been in a very dificult position. The military power of that colony last September depended only on the troops which were garrisoned in Ethiopia during normal times. and most of the war material consisted of that which had been left over from the campaign. Fuel supplies were low and the distance from the sources of supply, mostly controlled by Ihe British, made replenishment difficult. The menace of war had surprised Ethiopia with only enough of this material to carry oh the

military life of the colony for a period of time which would cover less than a year. Another important consideration was the food supply. Due to slow transportation facilities, which were often interrupted, there was only enough wheat at that time to last the white population for approximately three months. This situation helped to create an acute nervous tension among the inhabitants. Last September, Ethiopia was under severe political pressure. In several regions of the country (Amhara, Scioa and Gojjam) groups of armed natives were doing their utmost to upset the transportation and travel along the roads. These rebels or "schiftas," easily dealt with in times of peace, could under the influence of the neighbouring colonies of hostile nations represent a serious danger in wartime. At any rate they could succeed in breaking down the resistanee of troops that would be more useful elsewhere. These rebels have at times been able to unite and to organise groups of armed men numbering anywhere from 2000 to 3000. It is their custom always to attack weaker units, and they will never fight forces equal to their own. They attack small distant villages, stealing all they can find and burning that which cannot be carried away. Or they massacre workmen returning from their work on the roads in order to steal rifles and they attack trucks carrying provisions. When they hear of the arrival of the colonial police troops, and news of this sort travels like the wind throughout the hostile highlands, they disappear, in such a rapid, tricky.way that the troops can find no sign of these marauders. One of- their outsanding leaders is Abebe Regai, who at one time served as an officer in the army of the Negus at

Addis Ababa. He is a man of good military preparation have been in his youth a student of the French military academy, St. Cyr, and he has been able to adapt his training in a clever way to the eflective guerrella warfare which in his country, vast and rugged as it is, is the traditional manner of fighting. Now Haile Selassie is back and is trying to rally his countrymen. Thus, if last September Italy had entered the European conflict, Ethiopia, under her Italian protectorate, would have been obliged to limit herself to a purely defensive position, keeping open more important roads that connect the larger cities yet preparing for a lengthy period of hardships. The colonisers would have had to barricade themselves within the cities and towns and to evacuate the more exposed centres. A lack of fuel would have made any sort of communication so impossible that any warfare would be of a strictly defensive sort. When the menace of actual war disappeared because of the Italian declaration of non-belligerency, preparations in Ethiopia were geared to a high speed. From September onward each hour of the working day has been dedicated to the organisation of the colonial troops for Italy to use as a powerful weapon in an effort to prepare herself for not only maintaining her Ethiopian Empire but also gaining other points which are vital to Italy's interests in this part of Africa. Until the outbreak of the war, the entire army in Ethiopia was under the sole command of General Cavallero, formerely Under-Secretary to the Ministry of War at Rome. Last September, however, he was transferred elsewhere, and the Duke of Aosta, King Victor Emmanuel's nephew, and Vicerov of Ethiopia, issued a special decree by which he assumed the entire command of the colonial armies of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland. The Duke of Aosta is one of the most popular members of the Italian Royal family and has had a good deal of colonial experience in Libya. He fot-med a new military staff with General de Biase and other generals

r experienced in colonial warfare, and with them began the reorganisation of the troops, officers and of war material. Additional troops were sent posthaste from Italy, and provisions were sent down to Ethiopia through "the Suez Canal. A survey of the military power to-day in. Ethiopia would reveal the following armed men: In the city of Addis Ababa itself, a division is garrisoned which is called the "Grenadiers of Savoia." It includes three infantry regiments, one artillery regiment with portable cannons, 75mm., anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns, one regiment of cavalry, one battalion of Alpinists, and one of the "bersaglieri" (the latter are the characteristic Italian speed troops). Thus in Addis Ababa there are about 15,000 soldiers of the regular army. Italian East Africa is divided into five different sections, and the capitals of these are Harar, Gondar, and Gimma in Ethiopia, Asmara in Eritrea, and Mogadiscio in Italian Somaliland. .In each of these capitals are garrisoned one or two infantry battalions, so that the total of men in these five capitals amounts to about 10,000 men. Throughout the territory in small fortifications and outposts on the frontiers there are 22 battalions of blackshirts who have volunteered for ten years of colonial military service, and in all they are about 20.000. There is also an organisation which consists of military workers. In time of peace they build roads, Government buildings, bridges and torts, and as they are under military discipline, in one hours' time they can be changed from workers into soldiers. These men, about 20,000 in all are divided into five legions in the Roman style, each legion being formed of three to seven battalions. There are also the pioneer "coorti." The latter, veterans of the Ethiopian campaign having received land from the Government in compensation for their serviccs are about three thousand, and although they are for the moment tilling the soil, they are still armed. Besides this army, general mobilisation in Italian East Africa would add to the regular troops another 75.000 men, now employed in civil work throughout the colonies. A rapid calculation would show that in case of necessity Italy could put

together an army of 128,000 white men. Now for a survey of the native army under Italian discipline. No less than 500 battalions could be mobilised throughout Italian East Africa; that is Eritrea, Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland; and war has a strange fascination for these natives. Are they to be trusted? The Eritreans and the Somalis, having served under the Italian fiag for many years, are faithful, but there is a strong doubt as to just what extent the Ethiopian warriors can be counted on as far as Italy is concerned. If the war is one of aggressive action, and thus these men are allowed to satisfy their marauding ■nstincts by invading new territory, they can be counted on. If on the other hand the colonial Government takes a purely defensive stand by holding fast within the larger cities of Ethiopia, there is the possibility that the native portions of their troops will become a turbulent mass and even attempt to retum to their former . native leaders. In order to curb the possibilities of rebellion among the natives during the last few months, Italy, who had until recently used force against the rebels, came to peace terms with Abebe Regai. After a lengthy conference with colonial expert No. 1, General Nasi, it seems thal Abebe Regai was persuaded, by means of money, to give up his guerilla warfare and to train his men to serve under the Italian fiag. This it seems he is doing for the moment, and instead of the execution which had been threatening him for. the last three years. he is now decorated by the Italian Government and wealthy. But when the time comes, will he keep his word? The problem of low food supplies that worried officials at Addis Ababa last September has been tackled in the following ways. First of all, large quantities of food have been sent from Italy in order to store up as much as possible. Secondly the colonisers are doing their utmost to obtain a maximum of local production. Ethiopia had for too long a time depended upon the supplies that were sent down from Italy as the construction of roads and the subjugation of the colony seemed a more pressing matter. Since September, realising the necessity of being ready to face a complete

isolation from Italy, . an extensive cultivation of the land has been started. Until last year the colonial Government had in Ethiopia some experimental farms but there had been very little real mass production. The Ethiopians themselves live on a sort of local grain which they call "dura" and from which they make their bread. Now the large white population settled in Ethiopia is being provided for by the cultivation of wheat and potatoes, both of which grow rapidly and well in the high plateau lands of that colony. Mills have also been recently built and near Addis Ababa a spaghetti factory is now busily working. Recently the work which had been slowly proceeding on the Hawash River which flows near Addis Ababa has been finished - in order to fumish electricity to the city of Addis Ababa and the small centres along the road to Dire Dawa (recently bombed) economising on coal and oil. • Last September the roads were practically completed. There are now in Ethiopia five major asphalt roads that lead from Addis Ababa to the other capitals of Italian East Africa. They are the following: Addis Ababa to Asmara, to Massawa; Addis Ababa to Gimma; Addis Ababa to Harar and Mogadiscio; Addis Ababa to Gondar and ' very recently the road that goes from Addis Ababa to the port of Assab has been completed. These and other minor roads throughout the empire allow. for a rapid transportation of troops and provisions. In order to obtain a'certain amount of control of the Red Sea and also to be in a position to attack British naval bases on the Red Sea, Italy has sent a part of her fleet to the port of Massawa. Besides the regular fleet that since the Ethiopian campaign has been guarding the coast toward that port. Italy has stationed a small squadron of battle cruisers among which are the Tigre and Pantera di Leone. There are also two fleet of torpedo boats and about a dozen submarines. Beside being a base for hydroplanes there is.also a fortification supported by artillery, for Massawa is their only good port on the Red Sea with adequate means of communication with the inland territory. Along with this hasty military organisation, the Government at Addis Ababa has concentrated on the air force, which, of course, is an important factor in colonial warfare. During the Ethiopian campaign in 1936 there had been little use for pursuit planes. Since the outbreak of the present conflict there have been at least six squadrons of these planes flown over the border into Ethiopia. Civil planes left there after the campaign. though slightly out-moded will be put into usj. These are the Savoia Marchetti type and can be used either for troop transportation or as bombers. Two important Italian East African frontiers are Kenya and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. The first, because it covers extensive territories yet unexplored and hostile— the region of the great lakes that run vertically through East Africa— shall probably see little else than occasional skirmishes between scouting expeditions of the warfaring white nations. Along the Anglo-Egyptian frontier the conflict may become actue. On one side of the region of the Nile there are two important Italian centres, Gondar near Lake Tana and Asmara while on the other side of the Nile there is Khartoum. A British invasion of this territory would be directed towards Asmara. would be disastrous to Italy, and would menace her Eritrean colony and the port of Massawa. On the other hand, should Italy succeed in invading the AngloEgyptian territory. Khartoum with its airbase would give her a chance to work up the Nile and to threaten the entire Egyptian Empire. for it could be simultaneously attacked by troops from the Libyan frontier.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19400928.2.105

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1940, Page 12

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,521

Ethiopia In The News Again Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1940, Page 12

Ethiopia In The News Again Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1940, Page 12

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