On a dusty plain in the northern Province of Wallo last week a round-eyed dark-faced kinky-haired boy of 19 stood on a rug-draped platform of dried mud. To the rattle of war drums Ethiopian chieftains with lion-mane headdresses and gold embossed shields clustered protectively about the royal youngster. Across the field rolled a white-rimmed dust cloud out of which moved a horde of 100,000 yelling black warriors. Beyond the reviewing stand the troopers halted, faced to the north, where 100 miles away lay the town of Adowa. Then to a man they let out the old war cry of their country: "Ebalgume!
Ebalgume! Cut them down! Cut them down!" The breeze shifted, carrying the echo louder to the reviewing stand, and bringing with it a great stench of sweat, steaming horseflesh, and rancid butter with which Ethiopian warriors pomade their locks. Thus Crown Prince Asfa Wassan last week reviewed the troops whose commander he had just been made, troops almost certain to be the first to oppose the Italian advance next month, and to try to repeat the great victory of Adowa 39 years ago when the cry of "Ebalgume! Ebalgume!" chilled the heart of Italy.
"Military Paralysis." In 1896 Italy was, as she is today, attempting to wrest a colonial empire from Ethiopia. Then as now, domestic difficulties lay behind the military operations. After several years out of office, Francesco Crispi had staged a strong comeback as Premier of Italy. The new Italian colonies of Eritrea and Somaliland had just been established on the African coast. Though France and Russia were secretly negotiating with Haile Selassie's granduncle, the potent Emperor Menelik, many chiefs questioned his authority and seemed willing Italian allies. Early in the summer of 1895 Premier Crispi had called the new Governor of Eritrea, General Baratieri, back to Italy for a conference. Between them they decided that the time was ripe for a major move. General Baratieri, an impulsive Latin, seemed satisfied that the 15,000 native and Italian troops under his command were sufficient. He did not know that during his absence in Italy Emperor Menelik had made peace with the chieftains, bought from French munitions makers field guns that out-ranged the Italians' and was sweeping north 'at the head of nearly 100,000 men.
Italian troops had already suffered several reverses. Early in 1896 General Baratieri cabled for reinforcements. The Italian Parliament voted money and men and appointed General Baldissera to succeed Baratieri. Furious, Premier Crispi saw his grand gesture petering out. He sent an angry telegram to General Baratieri, flaying the "military paralysis" that was seizing operations in Ethiopia.
Oreste Baratieri was a Garibaldi Redshirt and an old-school Italian with a family pride sensitive as a rabbit's lip. Three days he brooded over the telegram from Premier Crispi, then assembled the four Generals under his command for a conference. The Ethiopian army was encamped 18 miles away in a brutal country of cliffs, gullies and thorn-covered hills. It outnumbered the Italians six to one and was equipped with artillery. Even so, all five Italian Generals voted to attack at once for the honor of their commander.