THE HORRORS OF WAR
TORTURED BY “BURNING RAIN”
BURNED AND BUNDED BY YPERITE EMPEROR STAKED ALL ON LAST BATTLE. (United Press Association.—Electrio Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received May 18, 11.5 a.m.) LONDON, May 17. How, seeing his faithful warriors tortured by “burning rain” of yperite, he staked all on the last battle, was told by Emperor Haili Selassie and his secretary to Mr Douglas Duff, the special correspondent of the Sunday Pictorial. The Emperor said:— “The warriors could endure bombing shells and even gas, but not burning rain. The yperite fell like a gentle rain. Then if you were not quick enough in getting your clothes off you were burned, and jf it fell on your face you were blinded. My men could not remove their clothes in the desert because the next yperite would have fallen on their bare skins. I was forced to make the decision that we must fight a desperate battle rather than be tortured to death. Guerilla warfare was impossible. We had no means of communication, and bands would have been herded slowly together and slaughtered.” Emperor Fights Gallantly.
The Emperor’s secretary, taking up the story, said: “ Before the Anal battle of Alembi the Emperor addressed the Imperial Guard, and said he intended to die at the last ditch rather than abandon the country to the invaders. We fought for hours, 'blade to blade, but we were beaten by machine-gun fire. There were few of the Imperial Guards left. “ When the Emperor realised that he could do no more as a general he fought as a simple soldier, and rushed, sword in hand, against the Italians. He pleaded with us to let him die on the battlefield, but we seized him and led him away.” Empire Stilt In Existence. The Emperor, resuming, said: “It is not my wish that lam here. I collected all the soldiers available for policing the city, which, was burned and sacked later by outlaws. My capture would have been taken as a sign that Abyssinia was no more. Here, though in exile, I am stil a -symbol that the Empire is not entirely under Italy’s heel.”
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Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19888, 18 May 1936, Page 7
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353THE HORRORS OF WAR Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19888, 18 May 1936, Page 7
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