PROCEEDINGS .i\T BERN, AUG. 25, 1935
135
\Vith a 1 1 eloqu :nce adroitness, and ability worthy of every conin1endation tlle : f\gent of the I t�l1an Governm�nt had counte red that case with a statement of the _ It �han sta�dpo1 nt. The 1\rb1trators ,vere j uri st s ,vit11 such a11 expert knowledge _ of 1nternat1onal la,v tl1at 1 t ,vot1 ld be a reflection on tJ1 en1 to reopen the discussion of �hese ! ��al argu 111ents. I-le ,vo uld tl1erefore confi 11e hin1self to elu cidating a fe,v _ points ar1s1ng �u t of tl1e hearing of the ,vitnesses, n1aking 50111 e additions to the arg uments ,vl11ch l1e l1 ad already advanced and wl1 ich the Agent of tl1e Italian Governn1ent had found in adec1uate and dra,ving attention to t11 e vie,vs expressed by Governor Rava ,vl1 icl1, he tho u ght, brougl1t out very clearly ,vl1 y t11e \Val \Val incident had occurred. Those ,vere the tl1ree J)oints which he proposed to deal with in t urn. I-le ,votild take first the testi1nony regarding the actu al fact of the aggression at 'A'al \Val. It ,vould be recallecl that, at the first J1 earing of witnesses, }1 e had entered certain reservations. I-le had said tl1at it se e 1ned to him that these witnesses clid not include an y of tl1 e people ,vl10 had taken part at the beginning of tl1e aggression. Tl1at s tate1nent l1 ad been confir1ned more fully tha11 he had e.xpected it to be beca use the evidence sho,ved that even Captain Ci1 nn1aruta had not bee n present. Govern or Rava was not there, Captain Cim1nar uta \Vas not there, the officer i11 co1nmand of tl1e Air Force ,vas n ot there: no one had been present at tl1e \iVal \Val i11cident. Ther e ,vas 11o t a single eye-,vitness of the oc curr e nce. Tl1 e o nly people on tl1 e spot ,vere tl1e native N. C. 0.'s. During tl1e evide11ce given by these native N. C. O.'s, l\r1r. J1lzE obser\ ecl, h e had noticed the t1nifor111ity and the identity of tl1 eir replies, namely, that a shot had be en fired at a sentry posted in a tre e , a c urio us position, incidentally, for a force ,vhich ,vas not proposing to figl1t and was t,vo n1etres a,vay from the enen1y. The sentry fell and ,,,as slight!>' \VOt1nded but ,vas still alive. :rvr r. JEzE \Vas surprized that, ,vl1e11 tl1 ere ,vas the testi1 no11y available of the ver): JJerson ,vho had be en tl1e first victin1 of tl 1e aggression, no one l1ad thought of 1naking use of it. Sucl1 testirr1on>' wot1ld l1 ave been more interesting than that of JJeOJJle \vho had seen nothi ng. 11r. J EZE ,vas also surprised to see that this versio11 of the incident had been presented 11ov,r for the first ti1ne. \Vl1e11 Govern or Rava dre,v up l1 is report, irr1mediatelv after tl1e occt1rrence, i.e., 011 Dece1nber 12, he had given a diffe re nt version. - l\rlr. Rava's report, ,vl1icl1 co u ld be read in the l\1en1orandu 1n sub1nit ted by the Italian Governn1 ent, only said that a shot had been fired in the air fron1 the Ethiopian side, t hat this shot ,vas apparently to serve as a signal and that it \vas in1mediately follo,ved by a volley fired by tJ1e Ethiopians. There ,vas, no mention of tl1e sen try's action. Tl1 c1t was a ne,v circumstance and l\!lr. J�zE repeated that he was s ur1)rised to observe tl1is contradiction bet,veen the Italian I\1emorand um (l\nnex 14, J)age 81) and the testi1nony no,v heard. To start ,vith it \Vas no t a case of a sl1ot fired at tl1e sentry b ut of a signal given . There ,vere'. thus, t,vo different versions: (1) in Mr. Ra,7 a's report; (2) in the depositions 1nade by Captain Cimn1aruta ar1d the native N. C. O.' s : . e lvlr. ]EZE repeated that it ,vas stran ge, in ,,ie,v of thi s d1screpa11cy, that th Agent of the I talian Govern1nent v,rl10 ,vas certainly a,vare of it had not brought for,varcl here the ,;vitness who ,vas the real victin1 . . . . tion It ,vas also c urio u s that tl1 e Air Force officers ,vl10 had tal�en part 111 the ac 1