1941-04-05 — Page 10

Saturday,

Symbol of Victory: Tank Column in the Desert

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

Scenes Of War In

Egypt,

Abyssinia,

Libya

April 5, 1941.

"This is all wrong!

The Romance of Libya

TALIANS, in happler days, boasted with some justilleation of a new thousand miles const road from Tunis to Egypt which would gen up communications in North Afsha,

claimed

WAH

11

1+23

By

R. Johnson

which engineering masterpieer worthy of way. These names made news for ancient Rome and typical the the ancients and may soon be house-

of

hold words.

modern Staic.

They were right, but the boast has A Vast Museum Loomeranged. Our tanks are rolling

enough described as "a small, up-to- date town, rebuilt after the Italian occupation, and showing a lovely peace-inspiring bay!" There is also an excellent modern hotel, which should interest our staff ofcers f they have time to use it.

Cufra Oasis was the focus of the war-like Semussi until they were overthrown and "protected" in 1931. The million and a half natives ore now reduced to 850,000, and their

in

along that very convenient highway Any student of archaeology among land was taken over by the 05,000 now, blessing Mussolini's Roman umi- bitions which induced him to spend our troops will have found a perfect Halian settlers. Two thousand colo-

recently established millions of his country's rapidly paradise, for successive conquests of nists were diminishing tira on this magnificent the original inhabitants have left a twelve villages spread all along the treasury of antiquities in the form of road. Will they be blessing the pro- example of the road-malter's art

Berber castles, Creek and Roman vidences of the regime now for their Stimulated by our brilliant theatres, mausoleums, fort, arches, model farms, which propaganda told achievements, atlases all over world are being turned to Libya, and arbours, theme, temples, basilica us were complete to a matchbox? and examples of Phoeni Or will they be contemplating the many people have been surprised and a statues,

little disappointed to find that clan. Byzantine and Turkish art. If, sandy foundations of their empire as march through the groves Bardia is only a few miles inside the as is likely, units made detours along our troops ma frontier, and that our gallant troops the uld caravan routes in their at of dates, alives, bananns, oranges and tacks on Tobruk and Derain, they lemons stolen from the natives?

HOL

the

British G.H.Q.

Cairo

EA

FAST and West are meeting to an unprecedented extent just now, and their venue is Calto. British General Headquarters in the city controls the military and air activi ties in the Middle East,

Troops from Great Beltain and from Australia, ainen from Canade, and divisions from South Africa. native warriors from other parts of the Empire, as well as Egypt's own Army-all are linked together by

GILQ-

Q-Cairo."

The tourists Cairo of peace-time has become one of the most import- ant military centres of war opera- Hans ond the city's military value has been enhanced by the develop- ments to which this Egyptian capital has been subjected in recent yeara.

Buringoltators of Care has been the present century the more than doubled. In 1000, its in- habitants numbered 650,000 by 1927, the total had grown to 1,000,000. Today, the city has a population of more than 1,300,000.

Among the necessary municipal developments may be mentioned the building of two new bridges over the Nile, and big extensions of the tram- way and motor bus services.

are faced with something like two might have imagined themselves in Perhaps we may yet see some of Boon to the R.A.F.

million square kilometres of hinler- land to conquer yet.

Historic Names

Fortunately, only the narrow coas

sume colossal museum.

these precious commodities, for the farmers will be relieved ог their Ethnologists will have no lack of obligations to Rome. material, for even Rosenberg would

have some difficulty in establishing The "Jackal” Of Tripoli

the true racial strain of the native population. Initially a race called

Once Benghazi was reached, the

As far back as 1019 Canto was linked with Cape Town by a regular all-British ale service, and the city has since become an important ale junction for

for travellers on the ale routes to

to Iran and India. The modern inechianised armies of the Empire have the use of fine motor roads leading to and from the of noted antiquity. The capital, roads constructed or greatly by admixture with Arabs, weather at this time of the year is improved during the last few years. now-fammus drive along the escarp- nomadic Tauregs and Tebus, negro mild and Riviera-like, and, except The eivil alsport of peace-line has

dusty

wind, similarly bevanie, a boon to the ment from Sollum to Bardia they elements, Romans, Greeks, Vandals, for an occasional hot

known as the "ghibil," and Turks.

"seidon CX- R.A.F. and to squadrons of Empire have pushed on to Benghazi.

ceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They of the spring

Alers, What will our boys see as they

can bathe in the waters of

Yet Cairo, as a whole, has retained of el-Gioch, which is considered by the strange fascination which it long authorities to be the source of the

ngo held for European. "The Mother is a romantle Journey, this from 'Chettoes are common in many legendary River of Leihe. Let us of the World". is how the Egyptians Bardia to Tripoll. haunted by the towns, and these students will cer- hope the departing Blackshirts have

describe the place. "He who hath ghosts of many dietators-Cornelius tainly visit Tigrinna, where there is taken a good drink of the river of

not seen Cairo, hath not seen the in Balbus in 19 B.C., Sinan Pasho a community of Jews still living in forgetfulness before seeing their an-

world," Is the Arabic equivalent of 1551. Ahmed Caramanli in 1714, and the same way since their ancestors cient city of Berenice for the last "See Naples and die." so, full cycle, to Mussolini the Last, were expelled from Jerusalem by the time.

tal strip is of any consequence, the Liby" with distinctive language, soldiers could inke a well-earned rest rest being waterlets, almost unreligio habitable desert, and Bardia, termin-

and physical characteris- al town of this new Roman road, was ties, they later became degraded into in the famous Gardens of the Hes- the lock to the narrow coastal area, separate and warring tribes of Ber- perides The lock is opened, for, after their bers

fold up Mussolini's African empire Hole-Dwellers

along its own rond?

Tobruk, Martuba, Derna, Appolo- Emperor Titus. Farther on they will

Nearly thousand years of un- boken lustory constitute the story of the elty, for it was founded in A.D. 168, and was named "El Kaltirn," a title which years of mispronuncia- tion have mada "Cairo,"

nin, Cyrene, Tolemaide, Barce, Toe, see hole-dwellers at Garian, bilss- ̄On ̄the ̄castle square, at Tripoii; Benghazi (Eusperides or Berenice), fully unaware that their age-old ex- the residence of the Governor-Gen- Ghemines, Agedabia, el-Agheila, ample is being followed by civilised eral, there stands a tall pillar carry- Sirte, Misurata, Zliten, Hums (Leptis Europe.

Ing what purports to be a statue of Magna, the clty of Severus), Garlan,

the wolf which founded Rome, but In the official tourist literature of looking more like the Jackal, who The Sacred Past Mizda (Musti Vieus), Sabratha and Tripoli are the chief towns on the prewar days Tobruk was ironically ruined Italy,

The Tribes of Abyssinia

(Italian subjugation of tho Abyssinians has not destroyed their tribal instincts, and the local chieftains now rallying round Emperor Haile Selassio are recog- nised leaders of powerful com- munitics. I

By Arthur

Nettleton

will be carefully replaced after close examination, before the shot is wedged in again. Empty cartridge, cases are highly prized, as well as live ones.

A favourite trick of some tribes is to encourage strangers to hunt in the forest, solely in order that the spent tinual changes, as the power of cartridges may inter be retrieved by neighbouring tribes waxes and wanes. The local inhabitants.

death.

Morcover, the present General Hendquarters in the Middle East Is in a city which in modern times has laken care to preserve Its links with the past. In 1918, a law was passed giving greater powers to the Govern- ment department concerned with the preservation of ancient monuments

Cairo, and many old.relles have! since been restored,

Soldiers and airmen in the capital lo-day may see several important relles dating back several centuries. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, inest collection of Pharaohic relics established in 1902, contains the

in the world. The Arab Museum, established in 1903, houses priceless

his Creditor examples of Arabic art which were

previously neglected.

Cairo's commercial activity consists of trading in almost every kind of merchandise, from the Sudan, Upper Egypt, Indin, Arabia, Turkey-in-Asia, the Balkans, and Persia. During the last few months a a largely in- creased number of British soldiers become familiar with the Oriental bazaars of this Middle East metropolis. The famous Brass Bazaar Is a popular haunt of the souvenir

DESPITE the building of modern The traditional enemies of the Chained

ronds In Abyssinin, the establish- Danakils are the Gallas, whom they ing of a Government radio station, usually succeed in besting, for, the and the construction of a 486-mile Danakils are

Addis Ababa has long been the more numerous and railway between Addis Ababa and better armed. For

Mecca of Abyssinian tribal chiefs, Danakil to A Jibuti, old tribal laws and customs wander alone through Galla territory For such visits, the chieftain usually remain the background of Ethiopian is to ensure

a certain and swift wears a short cloak, and he arrives on horseback, attended by a retinue life to-day.

of natives afoot. His head is adorned

have The Gallas, however, are more ad- with a big grey hat, and n rlic and The nomad Danakils, communities inhabiting the arid regions towards vanced than their enemies, so far as shield for the great man are carried the Red Sen, form an important Industry la concerned. Their homes by one of his retinue. Well-built and are better bulli, and are more per- of tribes.

The tribes which, by contact with slender, there are few more warlike manent structures than those con- tribes in Africa, for the Danakil often structed by the Unnakils. The Galla civilised life near the Abyssinian capital, have adopted more civilised slays any stranger at sight.

A villages are also planned on more customs thun the pagan tribes in the double-edged knife in his nativo orderly lines.

Interior, have established civil laws. weapon, but in recent years more

A creditor, for instance, may take his case to an open-air court in Addis Ababa. If the debt is proved, Another clan, Inhabiting the Galatu but cannot be paid, the debtor may

group

and more, of these natives have be- Much-Prized Rifles

comme skilled riflemen.

hunter.

Side by side with the Cairene traders are seen Bedouins from the deserts of North Africa, negroes, Nublana, Byrlane, and many other nationalities. No other eity in the world has such a commopolitan population today. Only one inhabilant in every thirty is of European nationality: the remainder represent almost every comer of the Near and Middle East.

a fenter for each kill, this token pain, as he is a such Water Supply

Traditional Foes

These tribes

Modern water systems and drainage schemes, developed by British enterprise since the beginning of the present century, much have helped to mako Cairo healthier city than it was in the part. Though the death rate per 1,000 of the population is silil fairly high, 11 is con. siderably lem than it was a generation ago, Educational facilities have also beau Improved. Cairo has colleges of medicine, Jaw, engineering, commerce, and agriculi ture. The Biate Univerally founded in 1908, now has a normal enrolment of about

A tribal custom is the wearing of remaining in the hair for one year. larly dangerous and bloodthirsty a period as the court decides, Among some of the Danakils the tribe. Other well-known tribes are

Only in the region of the capital slaying of a man is an essential pre- the Ungarats, the Azabugallas, and tide to marriage!

e Alamotas, all with the charne- and the few other towns are such customs observed, however. Among teristics just described.

the several million tribesmen in the Among such native communities more remote areas, the rifle and the the possession of a rifle is regarded sword are sill the chief mode of tribes claim hereditary an ay more important than the loss of a argument. sociations with the Arabs and Ma- life. The men will pursue the killers

Italian conquest of the country has order hammedans, though they are really of one of thele number-but in pagans, living partly by slave-trnd- to regain his rifle, rather than to not penetrated to these tribes, and 300 students, Modern Caire really began Ing. Feuds between the Donakil seek immediate revenge. A man they are the men who are rallying to develop in the 1800s, under Ismail Pasha, for ho largely replanned the city. Under tribes are also frequent and plunder who owns half a dozen formidable fighting force whom the

round Holle. Selassie. They form a his direction, new thoroughfares Were conaldors himself more wealthy than Jugs are a common sport.

Italions have not been able to one who has a handful of coins.

subduc. Every tribe possesses its own fer-

Whenever friendly Abyssions meet, When their "day" fully dawns, as ritory, which has been owned from timo immemorial, yet these lands are their first thought is to examine one it promises to do very soon, a rising constantly being over-run by neigh- another's ammunition. The powder sufficient to offset their sufferings bouring tribes and then won back will be poured from the cartridge under the attempted Italian yoke can again. The boundaries undergo con- case into the palm of the hand; and be confidently promised,

opened out and improved living and in

dustrial districts were created,

British 0,11,Q, for the Middle East is thus established 'in a. metropolis ad- mirably fitted for the purpose. Cairo to-

day provides an even better centrs for the direction of the African campaign than it did in 1814-18.

Arthur Nettleton -

But H.B.'s all right!""

"BRITAIN DELIVERS THE GOODS

WE CARRY

THE

STOCKS

SPECIFY

DO YOUR 'PART

ALL BRITISH BUILDING SUPPLIES

"CEMENTONE'

CEMENT COLOURING

POWDER

NEWALLS'

HEAT & COLD •

INSULATION

SADIA

ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS

PUDLO

CEMENT WATERPROOFING

POWDER

PHILPLUG'

PLUGGING & JOINTING MATERIALS

* ELECTROMATIC '

FULLY-AUTOMATIC OIL-BURNERS

TURNALL

EXPAMET

1

EXPANDED METAL FOR ALL PURPOSES

FALCO-PERFECTA '

FUEL-OIL

COOKING RANGES

1

CRANE'

BOILERS, RADIATORS ACCESSORIES

ASBESTO CEMENT PRODUCTS, CORRUGATED SHEETS, FLAT SHEETS, DECORATED SHEETS, SOIL & R. W. PIPES, PRESSURE PIPES, ASBESTOS WOOD ETC,

'SOLE AGENTS

DODWELL & CO., LTD.

Phone 28021

Page 10Page 11