Ethiopia's Lusitania?

Swedish newspapers normally do not publish on New Year's Day. Last week holidaying Swedish newshawks were routed out of their homes by telephone, called scurrying back to their offices. Within two hours extras were hawked on every corner, flags were being hauled to half-staff on public buildings, and Prince Carl of Sweden, president of the Swedish Red Cross, was hurrying back from his country place to preside over an emergency meeting. Police reserves hustled around to the Italian legation to guard it from angry crowds that kept telling each other varying versions of the same story:

Near Dolo on the Italian Somaliland border of southern Ethiopia, a Swedish Red Cross unit was operating with the tribesmen of energetic Ras Desta Demtu, the "good" son-in-law of Haile Selassie. Italian aviators knew they were there, for only that morning copies of // Messaggero of Rome reached Stockholm, containing a paragraph from Italian Somaliland saying that Italian aviators flying over the southern front had seen people on the ground near hospital tents waving Swedish flags to call attention to their position. Yet last week a squadron of Italian planes circled over the Ethiopian camp to which the Swedish hospital unit was attached. After dropping leaflets, the flyers made straight for the Red Cross station itself, bombs falling, machine guns spitting. All nine Swedes attached to the hospital were killed, together with 23 Ethiopians. Ambulances were wrecked, all medical supplies ruined.

Because the Swedish Government lies as close to socialism as any monarchy can, Sweden has opposed Fascist Italy at Geneva. Here was a juicy point for Swedish delegates to the League to make the most of. Prince Carl protested " in the name of the Swedish Red Cross." King Gustaf was "deeply shocked." Crowds shouted "Down with Mussolini!" Swedish radio stations canceled all holiday programs as a mark of mourning.

Months ago famed Swedish Humanitarian Eric Dahlberg warned his countrymen what might be the result of Haile Selassie's visit to Stockholm in 1925 as Prince Regent. On that occasion the little Ethiopian persuaded crack Swedish officers including General Virgin to resign from the Army, took them to Addis Ababa where they have trained Ethiopian troops. Said Herr Dahlberg: "We are not sure but what if Italian aviators fail to get our Swedish military instructors at Addis Ababa they may not try to get some of our Swedish ambulance units in the field."

Corrections. The story that alarmed all Sweden had gone out of Dolo un verified because Ras Desta Demtu's field radio was temporarily broken. It was not correct. But the miracle was that the story brought to the world emerged as accurately as it did. None of the Swedish doctors was killed. A Dr. Hylander was shot through the side, and his assistant, Gunnar Lundstrom, later died of wounds. Copies of the Italian leaflets that preceded the bombardment read: "You have killed one of our aviators who was made a prisoner. You have cut off his head in violation of human and international laws. You will get for it what you deserve.--GENERAL GRAZIANI."

Italy. First defense of the Italian raid came from the Marchese di Manchi di Bilici, Italian Minister to Stockholm, who cried from behind his police barricade: "Members of the Swedish ambulance unit in Ethiopia cannot expect to be as safe as if they were walking the streets of Stockholm."

In Rome the exuberant Giornale d'ltalia crowed:

"We would like to know whether it is really expected that Italy should order her soldiers to put corks on the points of their bayonets and her aviators to fill their bombs with cologne water. . . . Stockholm should say whether it desires our aviators before proceeding with a bombardment to release a couple of comrades in a parachute to ascertain whether there is a Swedish physician in the neighborhood."

Fascist officials were far less cocky. Scenting the raid's disastrous effect on foreign opinion, Under-Secretary of State Fulvio Suvich sent a guarded apology to Stockholm. The Press was ordered to make no further reference to the affair but to whoop it up for Sub-Lieut. Tito Minniti, the captured aviator whose decapitation supposedly started the trouble. At Reggio Calabria, the grimy southern town where Minniti was born, flags were half-masted and houses draped in black. Proudly his old Calabrian father cried:

"I have given a son to the fatherland in the World War and I do not regret giving the fatherland another. For the greatness of Italy I am ready to offer the lives of my other four!"

This sentiment was cheered throughout Italy, but as far as European public opinion was concerned, the beans were spilled.

Finland, which normally wastes little sympathy on her neighbor Sweden, did not recall last week the Red Cross unit now on its way to Ethiopia.

The Netherlands had already sent a unit to Ethiopia. Wrote the Nieuwe Rotterdamschie Courant:

"This bombing may prove to have the same political effect as the torpedoing of the Lusitania, particularly in regard to the United States, whose attitude on an oil embargo may be decisive for the Italians."

France also thought of the Lusitania. The Commission on Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies sent a message of sympathy to the Swedish Ambassador that mentioned specifically "the unforgettable precedent of the Lusitania."

Britain authorized Sir Sidney Barton, His Majesty's Minister at Addis Ababa, to act on behalf of the Swedish Government (which has no representative in Ethiopia) and demand an official report from the Emperor.

Geneva saw prospects that all 62 nations that comprise the International Red Cross would unite in an official protest. "If this keeps up," cried one League official, "the Red Cross will no longer be an emblem of mercy but an emblem of Death!"

Five days later the Italians were at it again, bombing the U. S. Red Cross Hospital at Daggah Bur where Dr. Robert Hockman was killed a month ago when he toyed with a dud bomb. Italian marksmanship was, as usual, poor; there were no casualties.

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