Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 May 1936 — Page 2
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PAIGE: TWO
THE INPIANAPOUS RECORDER
Saturday, May 16, 1936
UL SECRETS THAT LEAD TO ETHIOPIA’S FALL •f —— 1\ F J Sj-jt m ;— - T IS ~ - -- — ' fe 1---,—P* | ^
TEtLS for first time ROW SELASSIE'S CENSORSHIP KEPT TRAGIC NEWS FROM THE WORLD
LONDON, May 15—(By Rudolph Dunbar for ANP)—How the Ethiopian Crown Prince, son of Haile Selassie, was shot, the beheading of three high Ethiopian officials for treason, how jealousy of native generals contributed to the rapid advance of invading Italians and the sale of “dud” bullets to natives was revealed here last week a few days before the fall of Addis Ababa. The man responsible fo- these sensational revelations is O. D| Gallagher, star reporter for one of the London dailies most favorable to the Abyssinian cause, who returned here recently from Addis Ababa where he had been stationed since the outbreak of hostili-
ties.
Failure of the world to be apprised of this news was caused by the strict censorship ordered by the emperor within the first few weeks of the war after correspondents, in search of sensational news, sent back reports of bloody battles at locales where no Ethiopians troops were stationed. Both sides saw to it that no recognizable “unfavorable” news was pent out over official communication systems. Message Refused One message given by Gallagher to the censor Ato (which is the Araharic equivalent of “Mr.”) Lemmer, read: “THREE ETHIOBIGSHOTS H1GHTREASONERS OUTWIPED TODAY TCPIECES OPFHACKED SWORDWISE . . .” The suspicious censor refused to passage the message which would have been published something like this: “Three leading officials of the Abyssinian government accused of high treason were executed today. Their ■ heads were hacked off by Bwords ...” According to the newspaper correspondent, this was only one of several good stories which could not be sent through Ethiopia’s -Italian-built radio. Others he revealed here included: Headed Revolt “The Crown Prince, a dull, unimaginative young man, not favoured by his father, the Emperor, was persuaded by Italian agents to lead a revolt two months ago in Dessye. Haile Sela-ssle’s Imperial Guard engaged the rebels, and the Crown Prince was shot by one of the guards he had hoped to command. “The wound was not serious and the whole affair was denied by the Abyssinian government. Ato Lemmer told me I could send nothing but the official denial. I did not send that. Emperor Blamed "Many black government offi- f
Sold Dud Bullets In the early days of the war there was serious trouble in dead Ras Moulugetta’s army. In its first.action not a single shot was fired by the Abyssimans. Instead of the devil’s chorus of 10,000 rifles there were a series of mortifying clicks . . . all the soldiers carried ‘dud’ cartridges. “In vestigation showed that these cartridges had survived from a forgotten internal war. An Armenian living in Addis Ababa had got the contract from the Abyssinian government to refill them with fresh explosive. “That was long .'before the war. Thinking to make a bigger profit, the contractor had filled the cases with a composition composed chiefly of mud!”
SELASSIE ASKS SIMPLE JUSTICE
jJERUSAlLEm, May 15—Ha fie Selassie, self-exiled Emperor of Ethiopia, asked in his first public statement in exile that justice he
done his country.
“The nation which placed its complete faith in the League of Nations, of which Ethiopia still is a member,” he said, “cannot believe that the League will not seek reparation against another member which has been condemned as f
War Review Shows Selassie Forced To Break Solemn Vows Ten moniiis ago Emperor Haile Selassie was wildly acclaimed at Addis Ababa when, in a lighting speech before his chieftains. In* pledged to shed ills own blood if necessary in leading Ethiopia in the defense of her independence. The actual fighting began early last October after feverish preparations. but without the formality of a declaration of war. In a speech from the imperial palace at the Ethiopian capital on Aug. 21. the Emperor, his voice broken by sobs, proclaimed »o the world that war with Italy would touch off u conflict that would threaten “the very existence of humanity itself.” The Conquering I.jon of .ludah — one of the Emperor's official titles - urged his l:arcfnoti*d and poorly J armed warriors to fight to the last ditch. It was to bo “war to the finish," and the Emi»eror has doggedly refused/to negotiate with his enemies and has appealed repeat cdly for intervention by the I.eague
of Nations.
As ns-enfly as April •’>, after his Imperial Guard had been routed by enemy bombers, gas and artillery between Mount Alaji and l.ake Ashangi, Haile Selassie repudiated vigorously the suggestions that lie had been decisively defeated and was suing for i>eace. Modern Anns Too Effective But. in seven months the Ethiopians have been overwhelmed by the modern instruments of war employed by the forces of General Emilio <le Bono. .Marshal Cieiro Bndoglio and General Rodolfo Era xiani. The Emix-ror watched hope fully the tension between Italy and Great Britain, he prayed for an early rainy season and he bade, all his subjects to fight—till to little purpose, its event's have turned out.! When he was crowned Xegusti— !
Ethiops Await White Rulers
Pictures Show How Italians Rained Gas On Ethiopians
GENEVA, May" showing the effects
15—Pictures of mustard
gas on young Ethiopians, evidence ‘t hat, Italian airplanes literally rained gas by spraying apparatus
in a decisive battle and figures 1 f; orres p 0n( j enf . e ) showing that sanctions were cir- greatest
GEN. RADOGLIO, MUSSOLMII RIGHT
HAND MAi LOOMS AS FASCISTS' GREATEST FOE
PARIS, May
15.—(ANP Special — M u s s o Uni’s
enemy is not Anthony
ated , by ,ho Lea 5 np of Nations I Eden of Great Britain, nor the an-
ti-fascists, nor Mussolini himself.
an aggressor. We ask that justice be done to protect a weak nation against a stronger.” Earlier the Emperor knelt before Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre to pray for Ethiopia. “Have courage and hope!" he urged 200 Ethiopians afterward at a communion service in the Ethiopian convent cfiitside the walls of the Old City. Haile Selassie, who came to Palestine aboard a British cruiser, arose at dawn. Accompanied by his ministers, he went first to the Jaffa Gate, then to the Holy Sepulchre. Many of his subjects wept opemy at the communion
service.
Later he rested at his hotel. Because of fatigue he is under a doctor’s care. Only one visitor, a banker, was permitted. With this visitor the Emperor discussed the storage of a fortune in coins he had brought from Addis Ababa. They are reported worth more than $5,000,000. The Emperor will go to London in three or four days, one of his suite disclosed. Empress Quiz zero Mennen and their children will remain in Jerusalem.
cials blame their defeat on the Emperor. They accuse him of sacrificing his country for princi-
Pl ''l n order to cultivate tlie sym- LONDON. May 15,-If Emperor pathy of the league of nations the Haile Selassie of Ethiopia comes
Emperor gave strict orders at the
FINE MANSION AWAITS SELASSIE IN LONDON
outbreak of the war that Italian prisoners should not be maltreated. He threatened with death those who disobeyed. Many Abyssinian soldiers were executed. "If we had fought with the gloves off and allowed our men to
to London he will have one of the finest houses in the fashionable west end at his disposal. The house, three doors from the Ethiopian legation on the south edge of Hyde Park, is his own property. Deals were recently signed on his
King of Kings or Emiieror—at Addis Ababa on Nov. 2. 10.10. Haile Selassie took over absolute power. By virtue of the Constitution of .Inly It;. 1011. bis person was inviolable and lie was without any personal responsibility. I lie had ruled tin* country since ! October. 102S, with his cousin, the ! Empress Judith, daughter of Mej nelik II. She died in 1010. Before this lie had been heir to the throne and regent, as Has Makonnen. since Septerber. 101H. Haile Selassie is a mild-man-nered. studious man who prefers music and literature to levia's and parades. Small of stature, black boarded and black-eyed, be has fine Semitic features and thin white hands. He is said fo be astute as to his own financial affairs and it has often been reported that tne bulk of his personal fortune is within the vaults of European banks.
Selassie III But Tours Jerusalem
fight according to old traditions behalf by the Ethiopian minister.
we would have broken the morale of the enemy's troop, say certain
of these protesters.
JERUSALEM, May 14.—Emper: or Haile Selassie, although suffe.ring from bronchitis, went on a sight-seeing tour through Jerusalem today in his limousine. The secretary of the self-exiled ruler said the Negus was ‘‘suffering slightly from bronchitis, which f was aggravated through having passed through country that had, been gassed.” The Empress Mennen went on i a shopping tour and brought sev- j eral hats. Later she dropped into a cafe m the center of the city for afternoon tea.
DECREE ANNEXES ETHIOPIA ROME, May 9.—King Victor Emmanuel's decree, read by Premier Mussolini, annexing Ethiopia to Italy and proclaiming the King us Emperor and Marshal Pietro Badoglio as Viceroy of the conquered territory, follow: , FIRST DECREE In consideration of Article 5 of Hie fundamental statues of the kingdom: in consideration of Article 1, No. 2. of the law of Jan. 11. 1920, in the fourth year of Fascism, No. 100; in consideration of the law of Dec. It, 192S, in the seventh year of Fasvism. No. 2691; having recognized the urgency and absolute necessity of passing this provision; the Grand Council of Fascism having considered it; the Council of Ministers having heard it; on proposal of the heat! of the government, the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State. We have decreed ttnd we decree: , Article I The territory and peoples which appertain to the Empire of Ethiopia are hereby placed under full and complete sovereignty of the Kingdom of Italy. Article II Ethiopia is ruled and represented by a Governor General^who has the title of Viceroy and from whom will depend also the Governors of Eritrea and Somaliland. From the Governor General and Viceroy of Ethiopia will depend all the civil and military authorities of the territory placed under his jurisdiction. The Governor General and Viceroy of Ethiopia is nominated by royal decrees on proposal of the head of the government, the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State, and the Minister and and Secretary of State for the Colonies. Article III By royal decrees to he issued on the proposal of the head of the government, the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State, and the Minister and'Secretary of State for Colonies-, regulations for Ethiopia will be provided for. - Article IV The present decree, which goes into effect on the day of its data, will be presented to Parliament for conversion into law. The head of tie; government, the Prime Minister and Secretary of State, its proponent, is authorized to present the necessary hill. We order the present decree sealed with the seal of State and inserted in the official collection of laws and decrees of the Kingdom of Italy, making it obligatory to observe it and see that it is observed. y SECOND DECREE The Marshal of Italy, Cavaliere Pietro Badoglio. Marquis of Saholino, is nominated Governor General of Ethiopia with the title of Viceroy with full powers.
to ptembers recently.
The gas photographs were Included in a long report by the Ethiopian government on atroci- | ties. The report was sent from Paris May 2 by Ayeleu Wolde Mariam, Ethiopian League delegate. It is also copiously illustrated with i photographs of the bombing of the British Red Cross and the effect on patients. The gas picture;* were supplied by the Norwegian
Red Cross.
Ethiopia charges in this report that between June 25 and Dec. 25, 1935, there were shipped through the Suez Canal to Massaua 265 tons of asphyxiating gas, 450 tons of mustard gas and 7,483 gas bombs. On January 4. 1936, it adds, the steamship Sicilia passed , through the canal with 4,700 asphyxiating and tear gas bombs. The report includes among the gas testimony a statement by -the late Dr. A. J. Mesnard Melly of the British Red Cross, dated April 10, telling of 350 gas cases treated by his unit, many being “very severe and terrible." The evidence of gas spraying comes in a statement by Walter Holmes, correspondent of the Nordlsk Telegraphic Agency of Copenhagen, and also The Times, London of April 11. Mr. Holmes says hr. witnessed near Ashangi almost daily not only gas bombing hut gas spraying from planes at a low altitude and adds: “From a fine rain of corrosive liquid descending from the planes there seems to he little protection, unless possibly something in the nature of a diving suit were devised. hut in many cases Ethiopian soldiers and peasants are not provided with even the most elementary forms of masks or protective clothing. Consequently, a large number subjected to this form of attack rec ’ ved ghastly injuries on the head, face and upper parts of
the body.
I The document also answers charges of Ethiopian atrocities made by several members of an Egyption medico 1 mission. which charges. Italy filed .with the League. It gives a long series of affidavits from officials of this Egyptian mission, flatly denying them and stating' that none of the witnesses Italy cited ever went to Bttlale. where the atrocities allegedly occurred, but that all of them were dismissed from the mission j for had behavior or false pretens-
es
Two other mission members men- : tinned in the Italian document gave affidavits that Italian agents ! sought to bribe them to give false
I evidence
freedom and standing. He fights not for Mussolini, hut for his king. And he is so indespensable that Mussolini dare not supercede
him.
In 1922, the fascist rabble, led by t.enerai de Bono and directed by Mussolini from Milan, 400 miles away, made their melodramatic
march on Rome. Looks With Scorr
Badoglio looked on them with scorn and said: “Give me one company of soldiers and I will drive all the Blackshirt upstarts into the sea. Fascism will collapse at the
first shot.”
Badoglio should know. He is considered one of the shrewdest military minds in the world. He it was who. in November of 1918, telegraphed to Generalissimo Foch a proposal for a mass offensive on five fronts. He sertt it in a code he knew’ the Germans could decipher. Three hours later came the
plea for an armistice.
When de Bono failed in Ethiopia, Mussolini turned to the only man in Italy who could provide results—Badoglio. IT Duce conveniently forgot it was due only to the personal influence of the king fwfth whom Badoglio often plays bridge) that the military genius survived the first years of fascism. The summons came to Hit* War office where Badoglio lives when in Rome and has his recreation. Ba-
lly. Only a few shots were ex-‘d 0 &li° does not care to go out for changed with marauders. | ^ ear — accidents. Too many The bulk of the Italian forces | rabid fascists hate hlin. immediately took possession of! Mussolini’s Strategy the city’s vital centers. Detach-' Mussolini knew that Badoglio ments of machine gunners were w as the only man who had a
sent to guard foreign consulates
It is his right-hand man, FieldMarshal Pietro Badoglio, the Com-matider-in-Chief of the Italian irmies who drove successfully on to Addis Ababa after General de Bono had failed and wbs with-
drawn.
This much has been gleaned as the real truth from those familiar with the Italian sdene and who an* close students of the fascist
situation.
Badoglio has opitosed fascism ev er since its rise to power. He has never given and wili not give the fascist salute. He is virtually the only man in Italy who openly objects to fascism and retains his HARAR IN RUINS mmimm ROME, May 15-v-<jenerjal-Rodol-fo firazteni marched imo-Ptararat the head of his troops while thir-ty-five fighting planes filled the sky with the roar of their en-
gines.
No organized resistance was encountered, the broken remnants of Ras Nasibu’s army yielding read-
and the French Mission.
The vanguard pushed on toward Diredawa on the Addis AbahaJibuti railroad. Occupation of that
town is believed imminent.
On reaching Harar the Italians found the city as thorough sacked as Addis / baba the week before.
chance to conquer Ethiopia. Besides. if the field-marshal were abroad, he could not, in the event of a fascist collapse and a civil revolt, head the troops who adore
him against Mussolini.
Badoglio immediately changed things in Africa. He reversed de Bono’s orders and put Blackshirts
European residences and shops, es- instead of native troops in the peeially those selling liquor, and front line. He cut down on publimany public buildings had been | city concernings the exploits of
stripped of their contents
burned to the fcround. tered the streets.
Foreigners Fight Off Attacks Foreign residents found safety in their consulates, where they fought off attacks of drink-mad-dened Ethiopians for two days and nights. The native population received the Italians without any
show of hostility.
As soon as General Graziani reaches Diredawa, a junction between the northern and southern
and ! the junior Mussolini.-- and Count
Bodies lit- 1 Clano. Mussolini’s son-in-law, des-
pite Clano’s pleadings to II Duce that he continue to he publicised. Balbo, creator of Italy’s air force, has joined Badoglio’s faction; proKin. anti-Duce. BaTbo began to ov- , Mussolini and was promoted“”—out of the public eye—
to the governorship of Libya. Ready To Fiqht Fascism
Both Balbo and Badoglio have their airplanes in readiness to hasten hack to Rome when the hour shall strike, when the suibterranean movement only temporarily «v.o t p{t by the cantnre of Addis
Ababa shall raise its head.
Ba’ho can pilot his own plan; Badoglio has two sons with him. Both are pilots—and while they are in Abyssinia they cannot be held as hostages for their father’s be-
havior.
And if the hour does not come
Italian armies will be virtually ac-
of Ethiopian atrocities.j complished. Although Diredawa is 160 miles from Dessye and 210
miles from Addis Ababa the two
DI RHAM MAN SHOT nearest points held by Marshal TO DEATH AS HE Pietro Badogiio’s forces, communPLEADS FOR LIFE ication is easy, owing to the ex-
J ‘ j istence of the railroad.
DURHAM. N. C—(O- As he Possession of Diredawa ..ill give j „ . - , pleaded for his life. Samuel Thomp- Italians absolute control of the for * he over t thr ^° w 4 „ u
.•on was shot in the . stomach Friday night on Moline street, only a short distance from his home, and d'ed on tlx* way to Duke hospital. Bystanders claim Robert Studd did tin shooting, and calmly walked away, warning the dying man’s liiemls they would get the same thing if they attempted to molest
htm.
whole territory east of Addis Aba- i Badoglio returns to head the oppoba. particularly C.ugu, Chercher ! flltion throwing Italy into a c i v ]'
and the Ahmar mountains, wheih
Jealousy Aided “And here is one reason for the Italians* rapid advance—jealousy. "The emperor had a score of small, hut powerful, field radios, with French-trained Ahyssinians to operate them. He sent them to various armies, with instructions to the Rases to report operations dally. “Not more than three of these radios ever uttered a single Morse signal. The ultra-reactionary black warlords did not like them—because they were made by white men. Secondly, they feared cooperation with other armies, because in case of victory the credit would have to be shared with the ‘co-operators. “To the emperor’s urgent requests to use the radios, these stolid generals replied by sending runners to the distant G. H. Q., saying they preferred to fight as Menelik did. So the emperor, much of the time, was fighting blind, not knowing where armies of ten and twenty thousand men were or what they were doing.
WAR AND PEACE (?)
Several weeks ago Ethiopian warriors were fighting savagely and stubbornly to save their native land front in vat ion by an arrogant foe. vVith the sudden collapse of their defense, signaled by the flight of their emperor to nave them further bloodshed, they wbre released to iwait whatever Fate has in store. Many declare they
will continue guerrilla warfare rthan than surrender.
form the southern boundary of the Awasil Valley. Any Tlthiorfian forces that may have regained the central part of the southrn front are already as good as cut off. The large quantities of war material that have fallen Into General Graziani’s hands iridicate Ras | Nasibu’s army was the best armed of all those pitted against the Italians. The seizures included j twenty-five field guns, for instance. All Ethiopian armies on the northern front were virtually
without artillery.
The southern Ethiopian army’s arnurfhent and the wretched weather throughout the Italian offensive explain the unexpected stiff resistance to General Graziani’s ad-
vance.
Fuqitives Reach jioutl JIBUTI, French Somaliland j May 15—Tecle Hawariate, former Ethiopian minister to Paris, who I has been reported organizing re | sistance to the Italians in the Haj dama region, southeast of Addis I Ababa, arrived on a special train | carrying Ethiopian officials from Diredawa. i Ethiopian troops who set fire to Harar tried also to attack Dire- . dawa. but were driven off by French troops, pending the arrival of the Italians.
You will never get poise by putHne on airs and pretending non-
chalance; be natural.
OAVIS HITS DISCRIMINATION, BACKS MARCANTONIO RELIEF BILL
WASHINGTON, May 15 - fQNA) — “Discrimination against Negroes in the matter of granting relief is an admitted and notorious fact,” John P. Davis, national secretary of -the National Negro Congress, told the House LaJior sub-committee holding hear-
ings on the bill introduced by Congressman Vito Marcantonio for the appropriation of $6,000,000,000 for unemployment relief, to be administered without discrimination. Davis appeared before the committee to communicate the deci-
sion of the February Chicago conference of the National Negro Congress endorsing the Marcantonio bill. He appeared “at the express mandate of nearly a million and a quarter persons living in the United States to urge passage of the bill now under consideration,” Davis announced. Relief and WPA Director Harry Hopkins, Davis said, “offered evidence to the Senate committee considering the McCarran amendment to the Works Progress Act
number of Negroes on relief rolls had increased from 2,117,090 to roughly 4,000,000. This was un increase at the rate of 110,000 a month, or more than 4,000 every single day for this 15-month period. Millions “Below Poverty Line” “No subsequent government evidence. from which estimates of unemployment can he secured, has been published," added Davis. “Unemployment remains a malignant
early Jn 1935 that between Octo- deadly growth on the Negro pop
estimate of January, 1935, is today far too low to describe true conditions of unemployment of the Negro people. Unemployment among them, and its accompany ing destitution, have had an al most geometric progress. It is not too much to say that fully half of the Negro population in America is now far below the pov-
erty line."
After describing the widespread trade union discrimination against Negroes, a discrimination which
mental practice, Davis said, “not a single one of the present administration’s plans for either industrial or agricultural recovery has reacted favorably on the Negro population. Concluding. Davis declared: “Any proposal to turn hack to the state and local agencies the care cf the Negro destitute family is
responsibility for relief aid squarely upon the shoulders of the Federal government. Of equal importance is that section of the bill regulating standards of relief. It has been with singular callousness that Federal officials have admitted that Negroes were given lower relief payments and service
war, what would prevent the sadder but wiser Ethiopians from making a bold stroke to regain
their lost independence?
Meanwhile, however, Badoglio’s ! success has endeared him even ! more to military men. Mussolini has regained much of his lost pr stige at home. The cleavage against them is more pronmlnced
now than ever before.
Mussolini On Top
Rut the advantage is with Mussolini. Badoglio must stay in Africa for some time to direct operations. The Abyssinian highlands tower 8,000 feet above the sea. Heights are bad for hearts. And Badoglio’s hea.Pt is weak. On the other hand, should Barioglio die before lie has thoroughly wiped out all opposition—and there must be fighting before the country is completely conquered, although little or no news of Ibattling will get to the outside world since Italians now control communication systems—what military leader could Mussolini send to keen the conquered Ethiopians in
check.
SMASH ARKANSAS ROPE RING ~
NORTH LITTLE ROCK. Ark.
tantamount to proposing starva- j than whites.”
tion. It is for this reason that the National Negro Congress en-
rlorsed the central feature of thef*™’ Alliance of America also spoke
May S.—(C)—With the arrest of “ight persons, six men and two women, at 708 Hickory street. T hursday night, and the seisnre of the largest quantity of marijuana, a Mexican weed smoked as an opiate. ever taken here. State Rangers believe they have smashed the largest dope ring in the southwest. The prisoners, all colored^ declared they*had gathered merely for a "game". Abont two*-gallons of the ready to smoke weed were stored in the house, while the-hack yard was bearing another crop. Held in the county jail were ran! Jackson and his wife. Clara; Walter Cain. Bernice Green, James ; Wilson, Bunnie Rogers, Diman
Work- 1 George, and Jasper Richardson.
Cain, in his alleged confession, claimed he sold to both white and
her, 1933, and January, 1935, the j uiation in America. Mr. Hopkins’, has accompanied similar govern-