Political struggle is ruthless, and the Ethiopian War was entirely instigated by the Benjamin Cabinet. They dug the hole, so they must bear the responsibility to fill it in.
The British public is proud; they can tolerate defeat to any European power but cannot accept losing to African natives.
To avoid being caught by the Opposition Party and subjected to public criticism, the military's false battle reports had to be grudgingly accepted by the Benjamin Cabinet.
"Exclude the losses of the Indian Colonial Army from the casualty numbers, and don't release the death toll yet. Spread the losses over subsequent battles.
Mobilize all our resources to guide public opinion as much as possible, keeping the impact to a minimum. If we can't control the situation, create a sensational news story to divert public attention."
Having no alternative, Benjamin did not want to be shamefacedly driven from office just after taking up the post.
