The Negus Negotiates

In his porticoed Gebbi (Imperial Palace) overlooking Addis Ababa, bearded Haile Selassie, King of Kings, Lion of Judah, Emperor of Ethiopia, looked upon his savage subjects with satisfaction. In his hands after twelve long months was a new agreement, signed & sealed by the British Minister. For the first time since the Italians swooped on Ethiopia like a buzzing, deadly locust swarm nine years ago, his country was again independent, or close to it.

The sensitive, spirited Negus was grateful to Britain for sheltering him in his exile, for reconquering his craggy kingdom for him. But for a long time Haile Selassie, a proud man, had longed for the absolute authority he once had. In the interim, Britain had guided his affairs of state, protected his frontiers, helped restore his war-torn towns, even put down tribal rebellions. There were also disturbing whispers that Britain was planning to mold a Greater Somaliland out of British and Italian Somaliland, with a slice of Ethiopia included. Haile Selassie wanted less help in managing his own affairs.

Last January the Negus himself opened negotiations with London. Last week Foreign Minister Anthony Eden announced the outcome in the House of Commons: under a new two-year agreement Britain would voluntarily restrict her rights in Ethiopia. Specifically Britain would: 1) remove her garrisons, except from Ogaden province bordering British Somaliland where the tribesmen were still restless; 2) open Ethiopia's airfields (heretofore restricted to British traffic) to all Allied aircraft; 3) give up operations of the Ethiopian section of the 486-mile Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad, the country's only rail link with the sea. Politically, the Ethiopian Government could now choose foreign advisers "wherever it wishes." Presumably this referred to the U.S., which has sent missions to Addis Ababa.

Since Ethiopia is surrounded by British and British-controlled territories, the changes were mainly gestures to Ethiopia's sovereignty. Henceforth, at the Emperor's courts, the British Minister will take his place in the diplomatic line instead of heading it.

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