"Il Generale Inglese sta molto, molto male."

The Natives are Friendly, by John F. Leeming, former British POW in a WW II Italian concentration camp.

When the WW II era French Army of Africa declared war on the monkeys, and lost.

As told by an Italian Sergeant Major to the English POWS in his charge.

Pages 72-74

"Among his reminiscences were some about the monkeys in Abyssinia [today's Ethiopia]. According to his account, large congregations of monkeys lived in the hills on each side of the railway-line which ran from Addis Ababa to the port of Djibouti [today's Somalia].

"They were highly intelligent animals, an dlived on peaceful and friendly terms with the Abysinians and the French engineers who worked on the railway. The railway was of the greatest interest to them, and mother monkeys used to bring their little ones down to the track each day to see the train go past.

"The Maresciallo [Italian Sergeant Major] assured us that it was a regular thing at certain points along the track to see ten or twelve mother monkeys each holding a little monkey by the paw and grasping another on her shoulder. When the engine-driver saw he spectators he would blow the whistle, the monkeys would wave and chatter with pleasure, and continue waving until the train was out of sight.

"One day, however, a drunken French soldier picked up his loaded rifle as the train was passing the monkeys and fired into them. He killed one of the babies.

"The next time a train passed this spot the monkeys were there in great numbers, and they had armed themselves with stones. The train was attacked with a hailstorm of rocks and boulders, and when it had passed almost all the windows in the coaches had been broken and the engine-driver and several passengers had been cut by splintered glass.

"That was the start of a real war. The Frenchy authorities put armed guards on the train, with orders to shoot monkeys on sight. The monkeys counter-attacked by rolling large boulders on to the track, damaging signals, and generally playing havoc.

"For more than four months a bitter struggle went on: thousands of monkeys were shot; the railway became so damaged that it was operated only with the greatest difficulty; passengers and staff were injured; all glass on the trains had to be replaced with wood.

"At last the French authorities decided that they had had enough. Orders were given to cease fire, and for some weeks as a train reached where monkeys usually gathered the train stopped and a sack of food pleasing to monkeys was put off beside the rails.

"The monkeys were quick to realize that an amende honorable was intended. A week later rocks were no longer thrown at trains, and a month later mother monkeys again brought their little ones to see the trains go past.

"The Maresciallo explained thatthis was the reason why all trains from Djibouti to Addis Ababa had promiment notices in them reading Anyone annoying the monkeys will be imprisoned.

"[British POW] Sergeant Bain's suggestion that when the Italians went to war with Abyssinia they made a formal treaty with the monkeys, who proved most valuable allies in the campaign, and, in fact, did most of the fighting, was not well received by the Maresciallo. He walked away offended."