A Stagnant Week There has been little military movement in
Abyssinia in the past week. On the Eritrean front the Italians dislike to be hurried. They have. fortified their positions near Adowa and Adigrat, while : the Abyssinians are entrenching at Makallc. • Each would like the other to attack. Since large concentrations of Abyssinians cannot remain long in position for lack of food, the Emperor, who is expected to take.. the field himself in the next few days, may be forced to the offensive. No movement towards Gondar on the western Eritrean front is reported, but General Graziani has advanced in the Ogaden. Here the key to,, the. situation is water-supply—the Webi Shebeli river up which the Italians arc advancing and the water-holes to the east of it. European troops have not figured in recent operations, and are probably being reserved for the attack on the Harar plateau where the climate is less trying. That the Mussa Ali venture has been a. failure, at least as a step towards cutting the railway, is hinted at by the Italian proposal to respect the latter provided that the Abyssinians refrain from using it for military purposes. Since this proposal is tantamount to offering not to throttle a man if he will voluntarily stop breathing, it. is hardly likely to be accepted.
