Addis Ababa. Sept. 3.
Reuters' special correspondent' has noticed @ remarkable difference in travelling from Djibouti to Addis Ababa compared with a month ago, when everything was comparatively calm.
The Ethiopians are now making serious preparations to defend their territory against an Italian attack, which Is expected in the course of the next few weeks, 'Twenty-five thousand regulars and $0,000 irregulars are being rushed from the Harrar_nelghbouthood towards Ogaden. 'The work of equipping irregulars Is proceeding apace, but, in "many cases, only' twenty rounds of rifle ammunition are being issued per man owing to the short Nowhere ts enthusiasm for war greater than in the Tigre region, where Ras Sayoum commands. an army of between 190,000 and 200,000 men. Princess Atzede, the beautiful wife of Sayoum, virtually commands the troops during the absence of her husband. She intends to go to the front-line in the event of war.
Sayoum's plan to warn the army end the civil population of any Italian attack includes the prepara tion of hundreds of bonfires from the front-line to a point 150 miles the rear.
These have been found to work excellently, enabling as they do the speedy mobilization of regular
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