In our opinion if the Italians are wise they will,
for the next few months, be content to hold the ports and coast line strongly and at places where their troops can be easily fed and watered, organizing meantime a few very light flying columns, but never attempting to penetrate inland in force. Such tactics as these will incidentally prevent all trade inter- course with the interior. But this must prove exceedingly e mbarrassing for the enemy, because the native population of the interior require a good many supplies which can only be got through the ports. Therefore time is in favour of the Italians. Again, there are very large numbers of natives who depend in various ways upon trade, and who will soon become clamorous for its reopening. The Arabs in their own way are, as they always have been, great traders. If, then, the Italians have patience, and instead of trying to chase the Arabs up and down the desert sit tight at the coast, they will find a great deal of the present opposition die down.
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