DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
Date: March 30, 1949
Subject: Visit of the Ethiopian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Participants: Mr. Dean Acheson, Secretary of State Mr. Ata Abte-Nold Aklilou, Ethiopian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. John Spencer, Counselor of Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. James S. Moose, Jr., AF
Copies to: C, NEA, EUR, SWE, UND
At his own request, Mr. Aklilou called on the Secretary at 2:30 p.m., accompanied by Mr. Spencer. After a few preliminary remarks in English, Mr. Aklilou lapsed into French and his remarks were translated for the greater part by Mr. Spencer.
Mr. Aklilou talked rapidly in French and the translation proceeded as though his statements had been well rehearsed beforehand.
On leaving the Secretary's office, Mr. Spenser gave Mr. Moose a memorandum of the points raised in the conversation. That memorandum is attached hereto (Tab A). The points therein described were not strictly followed in Mr. Aklilou's conversation with the Secretary.
Mr. Aklilou expressed his pleasure at meeting the Secretary for the first time, and remarked that he had been coming to the United States regularly since 1945, when he was a delegate to the San Francisco Convention. The Emperor of Ethiopia, according to Mr. Aklilou, is a firm believer in an international organization such as the United Nations. His faith in the League of Nations caused the Emperor to rely on that organization in his conflict with the Fascist Italy. Although Ethiopia had been vanquished in the conquest, the Emperor's faith in international cooperation remained unshaken.
After disappearance of the Fascist regime and the reestablishment of the Emperor in Ethiopia, the Emperor laid claim both to Eritrea and to Italian Somaliland. This claim was first put forward by the Emperor when he visited the late President Roosevelt at Great Bitter Lake in early 1945, and has been revived periodically by the Government of Ethiopia. The bases of the Emperor's claim are that Eritrea has been used as a base for military invasion of Ethiopia three times within the past century; that Eritrea and Italian Somaliland are natural dependencies of Ethiopia; that the people of the two former colonies are related to people of Ethiopia by race; that the Ethiopians have many co-religionists in Eritrea; that the two former colonies formed a natural economic unit with Ethiopia; that the inhabitants of the former colonies desire union with Ethiopia; and that the possession of these two areas is necessary for Ethiopian defense.
Mr. Aklilou recalled that during the period preceding the Fascist invasion of Ethiopia, many Italian economists had maintained that the nation controlling Eritrea and Italian Somaliland was driven by natural economic laws to dominate the interior. Therefore, Ethiopia felt that Italian Somaliland and Eritrea in Italian possession would be the two jaws of a nutcracker insofar as Ethiopia is concerned. He stated that Ethiopia is not now worried about aggressive Italian intentions, but who could say what the situation would be after ten years or after fifty years.
Ethiopia put forth its claim to Eritrea and Italian Somaliland at the General Assembly meeting in Paris. These claims were somewhat reduced by the Emperor for the sake of reaching an agreement, and the Emperor was greatly gratified by the support given him by the US and the UK. He realizes that Italy claims both its former colonies and that some sentiment in favor of Italy is found among the Latin American states. However, with the support of the United States, the United Kingdom, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern countries and even some Latin American countries, the Emperor felt that the justice of his claim would prevail.
The Secretary of State asked Mr. Moose to discuss the present US position with respect to Eritrea and Italian Somaliland; and Mr. Moose said that there had been no change since the Paris meeting of the GA. Mr. Aklilou remarked that there was a movement, especially among the Italians, to support postponement of the disposition of all former Italian Colonies if agreement could not be reached on every area. In effect, he said, the Italians wished to put all the Colonies "in one bag." He pointed out that Eritrea and Somaliland face on a sea different from that which borders Libya, and that the problems of the East African possessions have nothing in common with the problems of North Africa. He therefore felt that there was no justification for insisting that a settlement in East Africa be deferred because of lack of agreement in North Africa, and he requested the support of the US in this position. This point was referred to Mr. Moose by the Secretary and Mr. Moose said that the Department's thinking had in general favored partial settlements if the general settlements were not attainable. However, in any settlement a number of states would be involved and the Department would have to shape its course in consultation with other participating states.
The Secretary expressed the concern of the US Government over the status of Italian residents in the area of Eritrea which may be ceded to Ethiopia. Mr. Aklilou assured the Secretary that Ethiopia is ready to give any reasonable guarantees of general application to protect the Italians and other minority groups in Ethiopia. He would be reluctant, it appears, to grant guarantees which specify that only Italians would benefit therefrom.
It was made plain by Mr. Aklilou that Ethiopia has no intention of exacting vengeance either from Italy or from individual Italians. Some 5,000 Italians now live peaceably within the borders of Ethiopia and they cause no friction with the Ethiopians. Mr. Aklilou believed that the Italians now resident in Eritrea would get along equally as well with the Ethiopian authorities as the Italians resident in Ethiopia. It was repeated that Ethiopia fears a strong Italy on its borders, if not now, then for the future.
The Secretary expressed the pleasure of the American Government at the military facilities which the Emperor indicated he would grant to the US in Eritrea after that area has been ceded to Ethiopia. Mr. Aklilou responded that the Emperor was pleased to be of help in this matter. Still speaking in the name of the Emperor, Mr. Aklilou expressed satisfaction at the assignment of an American Military attaché to the mission in Addis Ababa and with the elevation of that Mission to the rank of Embassy.
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