(3 of 3)
2) More and more optimistic reports have come from explorers and surveyors of Abyssinia's natural resources. There is rich grazing land in the foothills and Japanese seem to grow cotton there, but most important of all, Italy's great war machine has been completely handicapped by the lack of oil in Italy. There is oil in Abyssinia, Britain is quite willing to let Italy have it, knowing that in case of emergencies she could cork that supply instantly at Aden and the Suez Canal.
Haile Selassie. As Regent of Abyssinia eleven years ago, Ethiopia's curly-bearded Power of Trinity was high enough in Italy's good graces to ride in a stage carriage with little King Victor Emanuel III (see cut), visit the Vatican and shake hands with Benito Mussolini. Last week he was in the unfortunate position of watching a tidal wave gather before him and being unable to do anything about it until it broke. One hundred thousand men and 1,000 Italian planes were mobilized on his borders, yet he dared not mobilize his own troops. Abyssinians, fiercest of fighters, are simple folk and 95% illiterate. And the word "mobilize" is too complicated for them to understand. When Abyssinians mobilize they start fighting—at once. Last week he could only put his trust in the League of Nations. In an unprecedented move for a head of state, he sent a 500-word telegram declaring that "Italy is illegally occupying an important part of Ethiopian territory," that "no agreement has been or will be possible . .. in Italy's present state of mind." To increase his popularity and authority with the outlying tribes there was one move he could make, and promptly did. He issued a decree abolishing the system of "gabbar" land holding.
As in medieval Europe, Abyssinian Emperors paid no salaries to their provincial governors and State officials but delegated to them certain amounts of "gabbar" land from which they were free to squeeze whatever taxes they could. Sixty percent of Abyssinia is "gabbar" land. Last week's decree, setting up a regular system of Federal taxation, if it is enforceable, will end serfdom in the country and enormously increase the power and prestige of the Emperor.