Peace in Libya

With a flourish worthy of Scipio Africanus, Pietro Badoglio, Marshal of Italy and Governor of the colonies of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica (now known as Italian Libya), reported to II Duce last week that 20 years of warfare were at an end. "Completely and definitely" had the rebellion there been quashed and once more peace reigned in Libya.

Italy's troubles in North Africa started in 1911 when, to forestall the territorial hopes of Germany and France, she declared war on Turkey and seized the province of Tripoli. The Turks were easily dispatched but not so the Senussi tribesmen of the interior. During the War, when Italy had no men to spare for Africa, Senussi tribesmen drove the Italians back to the coast and practically reconquered the territory.

It is simpler for news readers, confused with stories of Britons fighting Somali in Somaliland, Italians fighting Senussites in Libya, Frenchmen fighting Tuaregs in Algeria, Spaniards fighting Riffi in Morocco, to remember that North Africa is populated by four races ("white" Berbers, Arab conquerors, native Jews, Negroes) which include innumerable tribes and sects. Italy's troublesome Senussites are a rambunctious Arab sect founded by Sidi Mohammed ben Ali ben Es Senussi el Khettabi el Hassani el Idrissi el Mehajiri, who was born in Algeria with an urge to militant reform. He ordered his two sons to jump off a palm tree to decide which should succeed him.

In 20 years of warfare hundreds of Italian soldiers and at least 20,000 Senussites have been killed. No less a person than little King Vittorio Emanuele's own cousin, the Duke of Apulia, harried the Senussites mightily from the sky. Last winter their ultimate fate was sealed when General Graziani cut them off from fleeing into Egypt by building a formidable barbed wire fence 180 mi. long.

The announcement last week of the final pacification of Libya was a matter of great concern to France. Stirred were old Franco-Italian rivalries focusing on the north coast of Africa. France's rich fertile Tunis is only 90 miles from the tip of Italy's island, Sardinia. There are more Italians living in French Tunis than in Italian Libya which is, for the most part, a barren useless land. The southern boundary of Libya has never been definitely fixed. France has avoided the question for years by insisting that since Italy could not control the territory she already held it was a waste of time to talk about boundaries in the Sahara. Marshal Badoglio has now made this answer invalid.

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