| Show iiIjaik PREP AIR = I IN6 TO STRIKE i The Abyssinian King with a Hundred and Fifty Thousand I Troops at Command is Being Stirred Up to Create Trouble for Great Britain I Cairo Dec 30 Rumors continue to multiply concerning the bellicose attitude atti-tude of King Menclik and all sorts of stories are lloating around There is I no doubt that If the designs of certain advisers could be accomplished accom-plished war would break out within twentyfour hours because the Abyssinian Abys-sinian monarch Is fully prepared for such an eventuality At tho present monnnt nothing can I he gleaned an to his Intentions the I King absolutely declining to discuss the i situation with either the British or Italian envoys Both of these envoys represent hereditary enemies of Abyssinia of course and that Mencllks attitude toward to-ward them is deserved may be probably true To add to the unpleasantness of the situation from a British standpoint the I envoys of the powers inimical to her are reported as constantly having audiences audi-ences with the King and are unqties tlonablj urging him to pVc s for his presumed rights in the Soudan Their advice has so far prevailed upon him as to lead to the laying In of an Immense quantity of military stores I I and munitions of war I Sirdar Ilg a Swiss who hats long I been the intimate and personal ad j User of Menellk Is understood to urge decisive action on the part of Abyssinia Abys-sinia as he claims that such an opportunity I op-portunity should not be missed He I points out the fact that the British Interest of rail will some day In the road bondholders seize the country and that the time to dike British IHJUCI out of East Africa is when It Is making it supreme effort to hold its possessions In the south Sirdar Ilg Is I a second Dr Leyds in I this respect and his advice goes a long way with the King He has prevailed upon him thus far to lay in the vast I quantities of military supplies whIch are now held In the Abyssinian ar j senals I amounting to no less than 500 i 000 guns of the Grns pattern j and soy I oral million cartridges for their use About COOOOO small pieces In the shape of Remington Winchester and Martini guns and revolvers arc also ready Incase In-case they are u anted together with an enormous quantity of blades for lances Rapidfiring cannon have not been forgotten I for-gotten and Menellk has some of the best nnd most uptodate artllkry ready for use In the Held The Abys I r f c > l f 2 1 MJ D1 L C z IL Its 11 I s i 0 2 7 J I J = f r L J II 1 I > A t ti1 I Q17 t G 1 z r 1mrftJ 1j tJ tiVIx iJi I ft 0 v r 1 l jfj d i 1 it > v4d 4 f J t A h t S itiI r i < U 0 t < c 41 tlIl rJJ x J 1ij 1t 1 I It 1 JF 1 r j iJ J rl l J k J lf J JZ I 1 I 1 II lriI I H I I P J i f A t1tI4lM L I I I 1j C l c VffJtJf ft lj = l J r O P rz1 oL tJ f i r r ry 1 h r c r r A t 71 i Q rh i 1 f Ai < f l t i 1t 1 J r L 1 l l iJ ij I 1 lx t 7 11 R f1 d of 1 j 1 I 6 fi f 1 t i t t1 i Y f fi r J l m CJm I 1 1 trl lfr o I L J y 1 1 1 > Ehvc Ir rjr I If 4 I > fI it I 1 1 1 J W y 1 t i l Ijf t p J 5 1 I 7 > al I I 11 N1 II I < r I i Y tf jjr jg IJjJ W I V k I I P7J w kT I J i r J 1 l Gh l I SKr 0 = > 0 b h I t Q 9 k f r I I E t3 j > i Vtf CCb I f i 1 I Q it e j aj Li j I i W t1j ti J 11 J i1 r j rI 1j J fli f J 1 i J r 1 l I ii i4 I alL oW cVJ r I I t J fli I t L H l U = 110 i ff 7 I With 150000 troops at his command tho Ethiopian potentate thinks that this may be an opportune time t o strike the British Lion which has fought its way to his deserts and thus secure a foothold on the Nile Hinlan fortresses have also been Htrong ly fortified and an English army of Invasion In-vasion would tlnd It a very different foe to confront In 1000 to what the one did In 1SG7 when Gen Napier with 10000 I roops stunned Magdulu and the cowardly cow-ardly Kink Theodore committed suicide rather than to fall Into the hands of hit conquerors As to UK mllltnrv force which Mono llli could lommand accounts differ The countr Over which In1 has nominal control has a population uf about 1000 rico louIs and It Is estimated that with the assistance of the chiefs over whom he maintains a suzerainty t force of about IGOOflO men could be placed In the Held There arc a considerable number of European ofllcers In the Abyssinian I arrny which Is 1 well drilled and has been brought to a high slate of elll clency during the iccent war with Italy and sriticu that time i The Abyssinian soldier Is the equal I of the Soudanese at least If not his superior and his bravery cannot be I questioned for ho seems to go to war with the same Kind of fanatical frenzy which characterizes all the desert tribes and to place the slightest possible value on life I The Italians who have been pitted against the AbysslnlaiiH 30 much speak in the highest terms of their valor In the field It is well known to Menellk that the CriMf to Cairo railway srheme of Cecil Rhodes contemplated the dismemberment dismember-ment of the Kings territory and that Kitchener was prepared to Ink aggressive aggres-sive steps Immediately upon the assumption as-sumption of any of his supposed rights upon the White Nile by the Abyssinian ruler The treaty t of Berlin allowed to Mone Ilk rights over a large territory south I and east of the Soudan which was shown to bt tributary to Abyssinia under un-der previous treaties the principal evidence evi-dence of which were sumo old documents docu-ments discovered in Lisbon continuing rights which had always belonged tn the old Ethiopian kings This territory I Includes according to Menellks claims an extensive tract reaching from Nubia j jon j-on the north as far south as Mombasa and running Into both the British and I German spheres of InlliKnce This he understands he v 111 never obtain possession of ithoiit lighting I for It because It includes lne control ot the right bank of the White Nile which I lu practically the key to eastern oquti I torlal Africa I i This vexed question was discussed i I about a year ago between the King and I j I Mr Renne1Rodd the first secretary of I the British diplomatic agency here who I I went In state to Addis Adeba to meet I the Negus and carry to him a quantity of valuable presents Tin exact whereabouts of the King I are not at prcsent known and the British Brit-ish agent at Bijoubltal on the coast has not received any reply to Inquiries addressed to the capital recently Monclik is i believed to be waiting Roniewhere on the borders of the Sou dan for Information that the British garrisons have been withdrawn from there contemnlatlng in that event to press foiwaul and claim wliaever lie I wants In the way of additional territory terri-tory He was heard of recently In the I TIgre country and although It is within I I his domains he Is cordially hated thereIn I there-In fact he is not erj much liked by his own people anywhere and doe not rule with anything like the skill and Justice of the late King Theodore Whercvei he Is there Is no doubt that the agents uf the powers who an doing their utmost to engulf Great Britain In a war with as many sides to It as possible possi-ble are keeping him stuffed with a liberal lib-eral diet of British defeats The King has his court with him and 11 i accompanied by his army ot escort I numbering about JfiuOO of the finest troops of his army He travels with great pomp and barbaric splendor At the diplomatic agency here I was assured that no uneasiness was felt over King Menellks movements and that no special steps were heIng taken to deal with him in case he bLComes troublesome but in official circles there Is a great deal of discussion of the matter however and I have heard It I confidently asserted that any offensive action by the Negus undertaken at this critical time would lead to joint action on the part of Italy and Great Britain I which would have the effect of hemming hem-ming MemUks forces in between Khartoum Khar-toum and Massowah and a stubborn attempt I I at-tempt to wipe MemIlk out In tho same manner that the Mahdi has been disposed dis-posed of I |
