Character Sketches. 



567 



" The Italians say that the Arabs fired upon them 

 from the rear. If a man meddles with a bee-hive, 

 and, being stung by the in.sects, calls them treacherous 

 scoundrels, I only laugh at him. 



" But the Italians say the .-Vrabs swore allegiance. 

 Since the world began it has always been the same 

 story. When a strong nation crushes a weaker, there 

 i> always somebody in that weaker nation ready to 

 swear allegiance in the name of all his fellows. .As a 

 rule he is some discredited and derelict politician. 



" Who is the disreputable Arab politician who swore 

 allegiance to the Italians? His name is Hassan 

 Karanianli. He had been bought body and soul 

 years ago by the Italians. When Admiral Ricci 

 landed in Tripoli, Hassan generously presented 



advantage of the Scotch at Dunbar. It was not the 

 peaceful villagers who fired on the Italian rear on 

 October 23rd ; it was the .Arabs from \hs desert who 

 had slipped in and taken advantage ol the simplicity 

 of General Caneva. Those men lost their lives, and 

 were glad to lose them. 



" I do not blame the Italians for what occurred 

 on the 23rd. -Many women and children were 

 accidentally killed then, but ihat was one of 

 the chances of war. I blame them for what oc- 

 curred on the 26th. Early in the morning of that 

 day, at five o'clock, I heard a very heavy artillery 

 and rifle fire round the Italian lines. I went out and 

 found that at one place on the east the Italian line 

 had been broken. The men had left the trenches 



Women and Children being ta'sen into the Town by Italian Troops ; 



Twenty-four Hours before. 



Passing the Bodies of Arabs shot 



Tripoli to him. What right had he to sueak for the 

 .Arabs, or even for his own family ? He has one son, 

 who is to-day in the desert in charge of the Arab 

 cavalry. (Loud cheers.) A few days before I left 

 Tripoli the father sent a message to his son to come 

 back and accept honour and wealth at tin- hands of the 

 Italians. \Vhat was his answer? He said, ' I will come 

 back, but it will be at the head of my .\ral)s, and 

 when I come »w/ wilHie the first man I shall hang ! ' 

 (Loud cheers.) And yet General Caneva accepted 

 as spokesman of all ihi; Anbs a man who could not 

 answer for his own family. It was very simple of 

 General Caneva to have d )nc so. He seems to have 

 done it in good faith. But the Arabs (annot be 

 blamed for taking ad\nnlage of such simplicity, no 

 lor" than Cromwell < an be blamed (or taking similar 



and were lying behind sandbags. I noticed blue- 

 jackets landed from thc^ ships. The last man was 

 evidently in the firing line. Half-way between the 

 citadel and the Italian front is a large Es()arto Grass 

 factory belonging to the Banca di Roma. Round 

 this factory is a village inhabited exclusively bv the 

 employes of the mill. They were miserable peonle, 

 living in a very poor way. While some Italian rein- 

 forcements were passing this village on tin- way to the 

 front on October 26lh several shots were fired. I do 

 not know who fired them. It is said that oiu Italian 

 soldier was wounded in the leg. I never could find 

 that soldier. For tho.se shots over four thoiis.nnd 

 people lost their lives. (Loud cries of 'Slinme.') 

 The massacre began in tliat village. It lasted for 

 three days, and extended tlirough the oasis. (Italian 



