Britain and Italy accused of seeking to carve up Abyssinia: On This Day in 1926

August 3 1926 Though Abyssinia’s area is 350,000 square miles – more than ten times Ireland’s – and its estimated population 11,000,000, the African Kingdom’s rank in the world is that of a “small nation”. The Abyssinians are not armed to the teeth with modern “weapons of precision”; they may possess no bombing aeroplanes; it is certain they have no great secret establishments devoted to the manufacture of poison gases for use in war; they are merely a primitive people, freedom-loving, warlike only in defence of their liberties, and traditionally Christian: therefore they are to be exploited and despoiled.Italy has never forgotten or forgiven the reverse suffered by her invading army at the hands of Menelik’s forces at Adowa (March 1st, 1896); in her present Imperialistic mood, she seeks n