ABYSSINIA A VAST ARMED CAMP
COUNTRY TALKS AND DREAMS WAR
By VIVIAN MEIK
BYSSINIA today is a vast armed camp: Superficially it does not appear so very different from what it was, say, twenty years ago, but a closer inspection reveals the fact that, for instance, the rifles in the hands of the tribesmen are of the most modern and efficient type, and that everywhere, at all hours there are gathered together larger groups of people than usual, a tense look on every face, discussing tanks and aeroplanes, ambuscades and strategy.
Abyssinia belleves that war is hovering over the country. The date of the outbreak is regarded as a surety.
million can bring almost a The end of the rainy season, they we say, the latter part of September-trained men." porhaps the first week in October- not later
"But the Italian air squadrons?" "Discounted," was the surprising Two days ago, while on his way reply. "What have they to bomb? the home through London, I met an old Addis Ababa? Apart from Ethiopian friend of mino-a noble-fart of our own machiner and anti- man in his own country. He had aircraft defences thero, admitted been on a visit to the continent-they wiped the town out. They the Skoda arms factory, to put it blow up a few empty houses, that's all. Abyssinin is a vast country- bluntly.
We discussed the state of uffairs, side, not a conglomeration of vities." millions-save He laughed cynically. "All this We can-all our arbitration talk," he said, "means ourselves in our forests. Aero- exactly nothing. If it was meant planes can take a place--but they to succeed Italy would have shown can't hold it. In Abyssinia only
the land forces count."
A diferent spirit-but Italy intends to declare war.
You know
that, I see," I said thoughtfully, "you
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Campbell, in California's Santa Clara Valley, has started a new departure in fire fighting, with a unit whose members all rida bicycles. The firemen carry their apparatus that way, too, and say they can make better time cutting across country than by sticking to roads. Here they go, in fire fighting
formation
Germany's Newest Warships
mean that you think that Italy just 26,000-TON VESSELS
NOW BUILDING
it. can't do it?"
and whatever they may say, every chancellery in Europe knows
"Exactly that. We can live on The internal position in that coun try is such that only a war can the country. They can't. They'll take the minds of the people offjeven have to bring up their water their government.
ITALY WAS NOT READY "Italy would have made the Val-
supplies."
ARMS PROBLEM
"About armaments," i interrupt- Ual incident her excuse had shed, did you say you got them from been ready at the time. But she Eastern Europe?
"I said nothing of the kind," he wasn't, and after that something greater than Italy took a hand-smiled urbanely. "all 1 said
that we had all that went with an the rainy season,
army of three-quarters of a million men."
Arnis
"But the rains will be over in September-and if you don't know what Italy has been doing in the meantime, all I can say is that you should."
SWARM OF ONE GUN CRAFT
By A NAVAL CORRESPONDENT
The first of the German 26,000- the replace was ton battleships, to
Elsass, appears to have been laid down in the Government dockyard A year at Wilhelmshaven about ago.
Ho
"But," 1 persisted, "the
Her sister ship, which is to take Traffic Convention?"
"Like most other talk that means the place of the Hanover, was "But." I argued, "is all this nothing in actual fact. ...
Deutsche Werke establishment, arbitration destined to be futile? held out his hand. "When are you begun shortly afterwards at the Everyone is striving for peace. coming out to Abyssinia again?
We've been having a number of Kiel,
No serious menace is presented Surely"
"Everyone excopt the most im- European visitors lately who like
He shrugged his our country so much that they're by the swarm of fast motor-bants portant party."
of the Anti-Submarine shoulders. "In my attache case are staying on indefinitely. Germans, which Germany is turning out for cuttings reporting the inspired at-Swedes and quite a few English- the use titude of the Italian presa. Some men and Americans-all, by some of It has been given wide publicity strange coincidence, with great war
in your own country-you know records behind them."
what is being said and the lies they are telling there about England. Read them in conjunction with the dispatch of division after division of Italian troops. They say it is only to defend Italian Somaliland." He laughed again. "Defend it against what? Mosquitoes?-What other danger is there in Eritrea? No, my friend-we know what is coming, and when
"Is that why you've been to Czecho-Slovakia?"
"There, and to other places. My country has been an empire since
the days of Solomon-before Rome
RUSSIA'S SUPER AIRCRAFT
REPLACING LOST MAXIM GORKY
Moscow.
was built and it will not be our Russia is to start building at fault if it is not still intact after once a fleet of 16 super air-liners. Romo or any other capital-has the largest in the world, of the crumbled away.
same type as the ill-fated Maxim
"I know it sounds extravagant, Gorky, which crashed with the loss but that's just simple Abyssinian of 67 lives in May, history, and we love our country. The Kremlin has announced that To offer just one proof-only forty funds for their construction already years ago we rolled up the might voluntarily subscribed by workers of Italy and threw it into the sea.".all over the country, tatal over 68
BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE
million roubles.
The planes will be named after
"Things have changed since popular Soviet leaders, among them Lenin, Stalin, Voroshilov; "Gorky
then." I reminded him,
"I know. Your own West has and Kalinin.
driven that fact home to us. What
For ordinary transport they will
carry a crew
of 23 and 40 pas- do you think of our people?”
That was question I could sengers, travelling at 160 miles an answer honestly and nt once, hour for 1,240 miles without refuel- "Wild-but the bravest of the ling. brave," I said.
Sleeping apartments will be pro- Thank you. Yes, that is true. vided for all aboard. Power is from eight motors But we who lead them in this developed twentieth century of yours have developing 750 h.p. each. The learnt from you that that is not planes will carry printing works enough. So we married courage to and loud speakers capable of being modern science and discipline. We heard half a mile away for pro- know there's going to be a war by paganda purposes. October, and we have to be ready to save our country. The first cinema,
In
addition there will be A wireless telephone ex-
thing we did was to discipline our change, photographle printing de- tribesmon, and to-day we have a Partment and restaurant on each
first line army of over 750,000 men of the liners,
trained by some of the best Euro-
pean generals in the art of modern warfare as required in Abyssinia.”
I opened my eyes.
"Aren't you 'doing the same, in a slightly different way?” he asked quietly. “We have, too, all that la required for an army of this size, We do not want to fight Italy or
FIRE ON CRUISER
HEAVY DAMAGE TO NEW
*`U. S. WARSHIP
Quincy, Mass., Aug. 7.
anyone else, but, thera, you are. "A big fire "broke out to-day in Self-preservation and if the engine room of the recently
Italy is prepared to force the issue faunched cruiser Quincy, which is -well, it's for her to decide. ...? stll' In the shipyard...
"Isn't that rather a bold states Firement wooring:"gas maska ment
had to stagger through the arrid amoke and direct their hoses through the port holes,
TAKE THE FACTS
"Not at all, Take the facts of
The fire brigada chiefs ballove!
the truth about Abys that the damage will prove very
Our countryside is not that heav Europe, our climate not that of the Mediterranean, our food, pro-
ducts not those of the Latiil, Our Worr
thods of fighting and our innock and the love of *ard Inferior to nons
re was extinguished after iotright the firemen
Con
School at. Kiel. They are armed with a single one-pounder gun and two 18-inch torpedo tubes,
NEW FRENCH CRUISER The now French battle-cruiser- Dunkerque, of 28,500 tons, is being. built at Brest in a dry dock, from I which she will be floated out on September 15 if present arrange- ments hold good.
Owing to her length, 702 feet over all; exceeding that of the dock in which she is being built, the bow section of the Dunkerque is being
Hara's 'a view of lighting-top of Berlin's new "television 'car which goes about Cermany on newa asilyn-
ments.
constructed separately in another part of the dockyard, to be united to the main hull when the slip
pproaches completion.
POWERFUL GUNS
un-
BUBONIC PLAGUE
SERIOUS OUTBREAK IN FUKJEN
Armour has absorbed an usually high proportion of the dis placement of the Dunkerque and
Foochow, August 7. her sister, the Strasbourg, fd
Bubonic plague is raging in down last November at St. Nazaro,
of scores of Both ships will have belts nearlyLungyen District in western Fukien 9in, thick, with two protective causing the deaths decks, the upper 5in. and the people every day, according to a lower in. In thickness, to resist message received here from that vertical hits from shells or bombs, district.
The Fukien Provincial Govern- the various ment has instructed Commissioners to sond immediate- to aid the a medical corps in the Nelson and Rodney, but in epidemic stricken district and to give medical treatment to the turrets instead qundruple
people. triple ones.
Meanwhile, General Chiang Ting- The 13in. guns themselves are of a new and exceptionally wen, Pacification Commisioner of powerful model, firing a shell of Fukien has wired to the National 1.200lb, weight. It is claimed Health Administration In Nanking that their rate of fire will be asking for a number of doctors to be despatched to Fuklen to super- six rounde a minute. The secondary armament com-vise the epidemic prevention work. prises sixteen 5.1-inch guns, ar--Central News Agency. ranged in three quadruple and
of eight The main armament 13in. guns is mounted forward, as
ly
of
two twin turrets. There are also Patrie are available, it has been 40 smaller weapons, mostly 25 and slated officially that they will be 13 millimetre anti-aircraft ploces. Jao designed, as regards speed and at armament, as to form a homogene. Though designed to steam power, both ships are expected to and Strasbourg,
This implies that they will develop 120,000 horse power and 20 knots with 100,000 shaft horse ous squadron with the Dunkerque mount 13-inch guns, while a speed exceed 30 knots on trials.
Though few detalls of the 35,- of 30 knots with 160,000 s.h.p. is 000-ton capital ships France and predicted.
I eald to him: What about a mixed double, Jie suid to met I never mix doubles, I always stick to Johnnte Walker, ¿
Much time, much traditional skill have gone to the making of Johnnie Walker. Its unusual smoothness, its distinctive Highland flavour make it a whisky apart. No wonder Johnnie Walker has friends in every corner of the world.
By Appointment to
Johnnie
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Walker
Bern 1820-
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