765.84/5184: Telegram
The Minister Resident in Ethiopia (Engert) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 21—12:15 a.m.]
45. An attempt on the life of the Marshal was made at the palace at about 1 p.m. today by one or more natives with hand grenades and he is said to have been wounded. How seriously is not yet known. Other prominent Italians reported to have been wounded are the general commanding air forces and the chief of the carabinieri.
Italian authorities at once took drastic action machine gunning and beating natives indiscriminately and burning their huts. Bombing planes have been acting with incendiary bombs in the outskirts of the city and at this writing a good deal of rifle and even field gun fire is audible throughout the city. All natives have been driven off the streets and the Italians including civilian laborers seem thoroughly alarmed and go about heavily armed.
By an odd coincidence the Marshal and Madame Graziani were at their own suggestion to have come to tea at this Legation this afternoon.