Government by Bombs

In Ethiopia arrived last week 105 Italian colonists, each the father of a family waiting anxiously in Italy. The most capable expect to receive, gratis, an Ethiopian farm of 66 to 125 acres, but for the first two years the colonists (and others who follow them) will farm communal tracts.

Not encouraging for the families of the colonists was the news printed last week by Armed Forces (Benito Mussolini's official military paper). It gave an account, presumably not exaggerated, of the difficulties of pacifying Ethiopia. During the rainy season (mid-June to mid-September) 113 Italian bombing planes were kept busy supplying isolated Italian outposts. Armed Forces described as "characteristic" the "episodes" of Lalibela, Bilbala Gorgis, Debra Brehan and Debra Sina:

"In the first-named place a detachment of 400 men was completely surrounded during the first week of September. Another detachment of 200, sent from Sokota to relieve them, was completely surrounded in its turn at Bilbala Gorgis. Only the air force could have saved the situation with its timely action in revictualing the besieged, and bombing and machine-gunning the hordes of rebels. Planes left every day from the base at Diredawa, 200 miles away, and supplied the men with a total of 130 tons of supplies, nine tons of munitions and 88,000 thalers [$47,000 in silver coin]. At the same time they dropped abundant quantities of bombs on the enemy, who were trying to close in on the besieged."

Considering the apparent ease and frequency with which forces of several hundred troops were pent up by guerillas and the large amount of cash needed in the field (possibly for bribes as well as the purchase of food), it appeared the conquest of Ethiopia is neither complete nor likely to be cheap. As a further indication of conditions Armed Forces added that airplanes constantly had to patrol the railroad to Addis Ababa and, to keep peace in the country, planes dropped 6,834 bombs in a single area in three months.

Coincident with the opening of the looth session of the League of Nations Council, the Ethiopian Legation in London announced that during the past two months Ethiopians have killed 6,009 Italians and Italian-trained askaris. This was presumably an exaggeration for diplomatic effect. As Italians were quick to point out, during the whole original war of conquest they did not have so many killed.

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