King Victor Emmanuel Assumes Title of Empero Marshal Pietro Badoglio Made Viceroy Rome, May 9. annexation of Ethiopia by Italy was announced by Signor Mussolini to a crowd of 200,000 people in the Piazza Venezia to-night amid the pealing of church bells and the sound of sirens. The crowd throughout the speech showed such frantic enthusiasm that he hardly made one sentence without interruption with bursts of applause.
The Empire of Ethiopia, I Duce declared, has been placed under the full and entire sovereignty of Italy by an official decree, and King Victor Emmanuel has assumed the title of Emperor of Abyssinia.
Abyssinia, he added, will be ruled by a Governor-General with the title of Viceroy, and the Governors of Eritrea and Somal land will be under him. Signor Mussolini then announced amidst thunderous cheers that Marshal Pietro Badoglio, who carried the Italian campaign in Ethiopia to a successful conclusion, would be appointed Viceroy of Abyssini The historic announcement to-night followed an extraordinary session of Mussolini Decorated the Paselst Grand Council, which lasted only ten minutes, and a three-minute meeting of the Cabinet.
An atmosphere of tense expect tion prevailed In the capital throughout the day. Hours before It Duce was due to speak crowds started locking to the Piazza Venezia, with the result that all streets in the centre of the city were blocked by the dense traMe, The Piazza Venezia ite self presented an extremely gay ap-Pearance, "All buildings in the square Were lit up by torches and hundreds of lectrie bulbs.
The garrison of Rome was drawn up round the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier while Signor Mussotint spoke.
Rome, May 7. The Grand Cross of the Order of Savoy was bestowed on Signor Mussolini to-day by King Victor Emmanuel in recognition of the victorious conclusion of the Italo-
Ethiopian war—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.