Rome, Nov. 3.
The advance of the Italian Northern Army on Makale has been resumed fend despatches from Asmara_state that Gen, Santini's First Army Corps and native troops commanded by Gen, Piroli are moving forward.
The units taking part are stated te be a Blackshirt battalion. Askari, artillery, Irregulars and 1,600_men commanded by Ras Gugsa, the Ethiolan chieftain who defected to the Iislian forees. It is not stated how-fever, whether the Second Army Corps from Adowa are also moving forward.
Altogether three Army Corps were ordered to carry out a general advance with Makale as the main objective. Although vanguards of all three corps pushed forward during! the week, the main body of the! troops is still a considerable distance from Makale.
Gen. Santini's forces, which are! stacking on the left flank. reached Maiuece wells, less than half-wa fiom Adigrat to Makale, during the} week, while the native corps, in the centre, reached Hausien, a small town in a fertile country which is important from both the political and military points of view.
The Second Army Corps. on the! right flank, have sent advance guards ong the main caravan route from Adowa to Makale and it is believed that they have reached the Neri River, Whether or not the main body of the Uolians on the right flank have resumed the advance, is not known.
It is believed that Gen, De Bone, Uelian High Commissioner for East Africa, {s planning an advance shortly a line extending roughly from the Denakil desert on the left along the Ghevar River, south of Makale, and then along the Takkaze River. until 4 point where the Takkaze River becomes the frontier of Eritrea, This Line, when finally secured, will luelude Makale and constitute a gigantic bulge into Abyssinian territory. "It will probably take two! months to consolidate.
Gen, Graziant's strategy on the southern front is now believed to be: to make a main advance through the open desert from Wal Wal to Jiiiga, with subsidiary columns moving up three rivers, the Fafan, Webbe Shibeli and Juba. to protect his left flank, the Fight flank being protected by British Somaliland.
General" Graziani is probably' aiming at either converging Goranal from two sides, or surround: ing the town, as Gorahal is strongly fortified and the garrison there has been ordered by the Negus to resist te the last man.
Italian troops operating from Assab are still reported to be in the Mount Musso Ah region, and are not beeved to be advancing.
"The whole real thing at last," the description which Italian press bles to-day from Asmara, the Ttaisn base in Eritrea, apply to the advance of the Italian army on we! northern front—Reulet
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.