ABYŚINIAN SUCCESSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 5

ABYŚINIAN SUCCESSION.

; ;■;:.- fear" of ;seriqus : "\ ■;■ (tIT TILEOKArtI— PnERB ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) ■..•■' •'";" v ; ':C ; V : :' ; '■..'■'f'afjsi 'January' 27.;''' '; Reports '■■ haye ■ b^eh'!,received' here, that '-Monelik',' limjeror of Abyssinia," is seri'ousjy iiU;-VV.;; ; ;vyv '■v?'.V^:' A ?". in the event' .of his ; :death',. , '''. .•. i ',- , '''..', ':.-:. : -;.;;y;!^MENEUksVNOM'INATEDvHE;iR'.' , \ :^;A: ■:■• Menelik has no direct heir) and, the' danger'is that his decease may lead-to a struggle ,be-' 'tween , ,'.the,'rases (a,ras being.,assort-of- feudal chief). ;An -inoroasod degree,of stability may perhapsvbo'.expented as,a result/of the aotiou o? Monelik in' June last, when he nominated as his ,heir : ' a' twelve-year-old' boy ' .named Lidj, Eyassu' (also spent Lip Yasu),'son'of EasMikhael,;and :Menelik|e daughter., Lidj■ Eyassu' is said;to. be .the natural heir by right of.descent, 1 but,' with a boy on the .throne, . there is "no guarantee/ that some ras. will: not raise "'the .standard of revolt. •. ■. ,'..:, ..' .....:.:.':, ."IJr.i-Polmer. , : Hansen; , who travelled in Abyssinia last 'year, says:'."There has .been,'much" tails; among the Europeans ■ in : Adis ■ Abebe (the' capital);; on the ■. question' of; the succession to. ;Mehelik's throne. ■ .Certain fears of * a J.oivil. war, and: even of 1 a 1 general. massacre of Euro-: poans/liaye been expressed. ■■ I.think.' that, this danger,lias.become considerably less since Raa Malconneh'e, death. ~ The Emperor-has Dominatedas his successor to the throne a son of Has' Mikhael, one of the most influential chiefs., and: olosely connected by marriage., with-the ImperiaLfamily. : The heir-elect is stUl a boy, and liyes in the Palace at Adis Abebe, where hii receives the .best possible education." . :. There ,is '■' an agreoment ;between ! , Britain, France, , , and Italy.: providing for' the -raainten r ance -of . the, political and territorial''status quo and of the open : door;'also recognising and safeguarding their respective spheres and ■interests(inoludmg Egypt's'interests in the yal- , ley. of'the Nile and its' tributaries).': ,Ruesia and Germany; have made various attempts , to put ■a';finger in. the Abyssinian pie; as to their success, accounts differ. Last year a German, Herr Holtz, claimed to have , secured sions- from, Menelik, but they do-not appear, to have matel'ialised. i : ' ■-.. ••■ . ~ .