Our thanks to Jerry Pry for providing this document.

February 20, 1951
Chicago Tribune
"BRITISH REGIME IN ERITREA FAILS TO GUARD YANKS"

ASMARA, ERITREA, FEB,20...AMERICAN FORCES IN ERITREA HAVE SUFFERED SERIOUSLY BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE POLICE PROTECTION BY THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION OF THIS FORMER ITALIAN COLONY.

MURDER AND ROBBERY OF AMERICANS HAVE GONE UNPUNISHED WHILE THE BRITISH PLEAD THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO COPE WITH THE "SHIFTA," NATIVE TERRORISTS. THE SHIFTA ORIGINALLY STARTED THEIR REIGN OF TERROR BEHIND THE SCREEN OF POLITICAL ACTION AND PATRIOTISM. THEY ARE CONTINUING AS OUT-AND-OUT BANDITS.

FOLLOWING ARE EXAMPLES OF SHIFTA ATTACKS ON AMERICANS WHICH HAVE GONE UNPUNISHED:

AN AMERICAN SOLDIER WAS SHOT AND KILLED DURING A SHIFTA RAID ON A PASSENGER TRAIN BETWEEN MASSAUA AND ASMARA ON NOV. 13, THE SOLDIER WAS CPL. JOHN WILLIAM HAYNES OF WILMINGTON, O. HE WAS RETURNING FROM FURLOUGH TO HIS POST IN ASMARA.

HUNTING PARTY ROBBED:

AN AMERICAN SUPPLY TRAIN WAS HELD UP ON THE SAME TRACK DEC. 10. SUPPLIES FOR AMERICAN TROOPS ARE UNLOADED AT THE PORT OF MASSAUA AND TAKEN TO ASMARA BY TRAIN. THE DEC. 10 TRAIN WAS ROBBED AT A POINT WHERE THE RAILROAD LEAVES THE MOTOR HIGHWAY, AND OLD AND FAVORITE SHIFTA SPOT.

EARLIER LAST YEAR, A GROUP OF AMERICAN ENLISTED MEN WERE ROBBED OF THEIR RIFLES, MONEY, AND VALUABLES BY A BAND OF SHIFTA WHO SURROUNDED THEM AS THEY WERE HUNTING.

AMERICAN TROOPS HERE BELIEVE SUCH ATTACKS ARE DUE TO NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE BRITISH, WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO POLICE THE AREA. THE AMERICANS ARE NOT "OCCUPATION TROOPS" AND THUS CANNOT DO THEIR OWN POLICING; THEY CAN ONLY PROTECT THEIR OWN INSTALLATIONS. EVEN THEIR SUPPLY TRAINS CAN BE PROTECTED ONLY BY NATIVE TROOPS, MANY OF WHOM WILL NOT FIGHT THE SHIFTA.

AMERICANS HERE FEEL THAT THE LEAST THE BRITISH CAN DO IS PROTECT COMMUNICATIONS. ERITREA HAS ONLY TWO SHORT RAIL LINES----ONE FROM MASSAUA TO ASMARA AND THE OTHER FROM AGORDAT TO ASMARA. GREEKS DO BETTER:

AS ONE GI PUT IT, "EVEN THE GREEKS AND CHINESE HAVE THE SENSE TO RUN A PILOT TRAIN AHEAD OF REGULAR TRAINS TRAVELING THRU GUERRILLA COUNTRY. THE BRITISH WON'T EVEN DO THAT."

ATTACKS ON AMERICANS DO NOT REPRESENT ANY POLITICAL ANTI-AMERICANISM IN ERITREA. THEY SIMPLY ARE ACTS OF BANDITRY AND ARE TYPICAL OF WHAT GOES ON ALMOST DAILY IN SOME PARTS OF THIS COUNTRY.

AMERICAN FORCES IN ERITREA CONSIST MAINLY OF A FEW HUNDRED ARMY, NAVY, AND AIR FORCE PERSONNEL WHO PRIMARILY MAINTAIN RADIO MARINA, A POWERFUL RELAY STATION TAKEN FROM THE ITALIANS. RADIO MARINA PICKS UP BROADCASTS FROM MILITARY MISSIONS, EMBASSIES, AND LEGATIONS THRUOUT THE NEAR EAST AND NORTHERN AFRICA FOR RELAY TO WASHINGTON.

THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE ERITREANS WANT THE AMERICANS TO MOVE OUT. THE AMERICAN ARMY SPENDS MANY DOLLARS HERE ANNUALLY AND PROVIDES A SUBSTANTIAL PAYROLL FOR ERITREANS.

EVEN THE SHIFTA SHOW NO REAL BASIC UNFRIENDLINESS TOWARD AMERICANS. THEY JUST LIKE TO PICK UP THEIR DOLLARS DIRECTLY, INSTEAD OF WORKING FOR THEM. AND THE BRITISH LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF GENERAL INEFFICIENCY OR POLITICAL FAVORITISM TO THE SHIFTA WHO ORIGINALLY OPERATED IN SUPPORT OF THE PRO-ETHIOPIAN UNIONIST PART, WHOSE ANTI-ITALIAN BIAS SUITED BRITISH PURPOSES.