“CAN THE ETHIOPIAN. . .?"

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 479, 8 October 1928, Page 8

“CAN THE ETHIOPIAN. . .?"

THE King-making business is booming this year. Abyssinia * has taken unto itself a new monarch, and ten million subjects * of the ancient Empire of Ethiopia will be called upon to obey Ras Taffari, who claims to be in the direct line of descent from King Solomon and now assumes the all-embracing title, King of Kings. Ras Taffari is not unknown in the Western world. Some years ago he made a tour of Europe. On arrival at Marseilles members of his suite rather staggered their official hosts by retiring to bed in the baths provided for their use—and with their boots on! But by the end of the tour they had all become conventional Western tourists; an augury, possibly, for the ultimate civilisation of Abyssinia, still a wild country with numberless bands of hostile natives, nomadic and predatory. Abyssinia has been recognised as an independent State since the signing of a treaty with Italy by the old Emperor Menelik. Previous to that Britain had taken a hand in affairs, and deposed a troublesome ruler. In 1906 Britain, Prance and Italy entered into a pact for the purpose of protecting their interests in adjoining lands, and to preserve the integrity of Abyssinia. Since then, most of the great Po-svers, including America, have been directly represented at Addis Abbaba, and a vigilant eye is kept on the trend of politics. Menelik died in 1913, and was succeeded by a grandson, later deposed for his pro-Turkish sympathies. Zauditu was then proclaimed Empress, and it is she who has made over the kingdom to Ras Taffari, who has for some years acted as Regent. The change, however, is more than one of title only, for Zauditu is reputed to have had certain Elizabethan qualities in her composition. Ras Taffari has been responsible for many reforms in his country. Abyssinia now belongs to the League of Nations. Cabinet Government of a kind has been introduced, and although it functions in a nebulous way, a start has been made to run the once-feudal State on constitutional lines. Domestic slavery still flourishes, but the Ras has made provision for the gradual elimination of this system. Foreign enterprise has begun to exploit the possibilities of the country, and it W’ould seem that before many years have passed primitive Abyssinia may be playing a definite part in the commerce of the world.