The assumption here is that allan holding force for contri defence me at the railway, penetrate ing along the British Somaliland boundary. towards Harar to get into position, and aided by another column Coming down from Eritrea along the French frontier.
This suggests a converging movement in the centre towards the rally way while the northern and southern main bodies trek to flank the capital It all writes so easy but with some knowledge of East African terrain 1 can visualize gr converging columns so. moving, not only because of the distances but by reason of the supply parallel (at a distance) to the enemy front in the north and open to exploitation by mounted men in the Jfouth across desert. 'These frontier movements might' mean Ttalian detachments being driven into British and French territory.
France has recognize this and has! sent a brigade from Marseilles to. Djibuti wie in part fe used to guard the railway which runs to Addis! Ababa.
This line in the heart of!
ations may become 9 source of friction between France "and Ttaly and there are suggestions that its whole length should constitute a. neutral belt guarded by an international force and which may be crossed but not occupied. 1 do not think' any commander would "allow: his army fo be separated into two halves by a neutral zone. He will want to use that railway. Its stratetical importance "has become vital.
Several firma in Europe are pared to use all these routes and contracts are sioned. The Ttalian efforts to ston supplies ing in are at oresent confined to #ea action. should she foot constrained to be with-handed at Diibutl and Berbera. Future possible action Hee in controlling the Sudan border but this Is not possible for a Tong time as when the Gedaref road closed, that from Sonnar would Femain open for tome time Yonser. Shitting the route and point of entry down the border as the Ttallans advance is possible over a few hundred miles until perforce the long route from Kosti vi Renk and Nasir to the Abyssinian post at Gambela alone usable in the west,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.