Except in the results of both there is- no resemblance
between the northern and southern battles. In the - south a small and very mobile column overran a desolate plain and scattered the remnants of a force not particularly warlike in its composition and already terribly weakened by privation. In the north the advance was over country of stupenclOus difficulty and was opposed by a "new model " army, well fed and comparatively well equipped. Its success improves the Italian position, without neces- -sarily greatly weakening that of the Abyssinians, whose Mobility makes them less dependent than the Italians on strategic. communications. The true measure of victory as bringing the war nearer to a successful issue is the area of arable land denied to the defenders- . which is small—and the casualties inflicted on - theni. If these were as heavy as they are reported to be, Ras Mulugeta has been guilty of a serious tactical error in • offering such determined resistance. The next few weeks will disclose the extent of that error, and test the resilience of Abyssinian morale. •
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