Tt seems that little has been heard of the operations which the Italian forces were reported in an early stage of the confiet to be carrying out in the neighbourhood of Int. Mussali, im the corner where Eritrea, Ethiopia and French Somaliland meet. The lusiveness of the Danakil tribesmen is reported to have considerably ham-Pered the Tialian troops and the special correspondent of "The Times" reported on November 3 that. the Tislian cavalry were then endeavour-to discover dry country suitable for the advance mechanized forces. The Immini marshes have apparently presented a formidable obstacle, Efforts {o scatter the Danakil tribesmen who have claimed that they have inflicted losses on Italian columns have been disappointed. Incidentally the despatch throws a vivid light on the supply difficulties of the Ethiopian armies. The reinforcement of the defending troops in one zone was discontinued at the express request of their commander, on the ground that such accessions to his command might damage crops and dislocate the organization of food supplies. The correspondent sums up the situation by asserting that the success of the Ethiopian campaign depends on whether the defenders are able to prolong the war, which it would be {in their interest' to do or "whether the starvation of the armies ends in disruption." This throws ancther ight on the recent change in Italian plang which are expressly designed {fo obtain quick results and so deprive Ethiopians of a recognized ad-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.