Rome asserts that the total of Mahan dead since the beginning of the Ethiopian campaign is only #44, The Abyssinians assert that their burial parties afler the battle Tembien interred no, tess than 15,000 Ualians and 4123 Askaris. This discrepancy defies conjecture. Signor Mussolini will find his heavy: hand on the publication of news a distinct drawback in the task of ensuring credence for his statistics, although It'mrst be confessed that the start Ung repest from Dessle cannot be accepted without the greatest reserve. Both sides may claim that economy In truth and extravagance in fiction constitute legitimate "processes for maintaining morale and thus securing a definite military advantage. They cannot be expected therefore to be greatly concerned at tly embarrassment of commentators who will realize that the ascertain. ment of the true facts is all the more Complicated by such divergence of Feporis. In support of the Ttatian claim it will be recalled that competent observers have all along dis counted many of the despatches Which alleged that fierce fighting had taken' place. It would seem that Tembien was the frst engagement of any real moment, taking modern andards {Into account. The. Abys-Sinian claim receives the colour of confirmation, albeit with considerable reserve in the arithmetical sense, from the curious fact that after Tembien the Tlalians seem to have been very much on the defensive as the recent report of the Ethiopian repulse at Makale showed, and it may be that Marshal Badoglio had pay iF very high price for the his line between These doubts can only be cleared as the passage of time permits realities to be unveiled.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.