RESPECTED RULER

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1937, Page 10

RESPECTED RULER

ABYSSINIAN CHIEF

MISSIONARY'S TRIBUTE

| "I am convinced that the man was [continually trying to establish the !standards of Christian civilisation in his i heathen province, and for that reason I feel deeply moved ':y news of his [death," said Mr. L. A. Davison, until recently a missionary in Abyssinia, in paying tribute today to Beine Merid*. an Abyssinian king, who (according to a cable yesterday) was shot by the Italians. Mr Davison, who was for six years a member of the Sudan Interior Mission in Abyssinia, left the country in 1 June, 1935. For a considerable time he was the only foreigner in the Gofa province, which was governed by Beine Merid (or, as Mr. Davison spells and pronounces it, Baiyenna Narid), and he enjoyed the personal friendship of the king, whom he considers to have been an excellent ruler. Baiyenna was one of the subordinate kings of Haile Selassie, said Mr. Davison and because of his reputation as a firm but just ruler and an avowed enemy of slavery, was given charge of the Gofa province, which was notorious for its slave-running. The population of the province was about 800,000 and about 14 different languages were spoken within its borders. Baiyenna had about 1000 soldiers always under arms and in wartime could have called up 100,000. Incidentally, he was a son-in-law of Haile Selassie. Considerable enterprise in constructional' works was shown/ by Baiyenna, continued Mr. Davison, who was able to advise him in many of the works carried out, because of previous experience as a builder. Quite a number of the buildings under Baiyenna's control were . modernised, and the principal work done by him. in conjunction with the Government at Addis Ababa,.was the construction of a motor road, about 350 miles long, between'the capital of the country and the principal town of the Gofa province. Because of the Italian coming that road was never used by Baiyenna, being only about half-formed, though at its full length, at the time of the war. Baiyenna also had a landing ground laid out near his seat of government, arid had the great joy of being transported with his wife in one of the. Emperop's' aeroplanes to Addis Ababa, taking two hours to make a trip that occupied a month by mule travel.

The Abyssinians believed that they could acquire merit for the next world by their actions in this, and Baiyenna was exceedingly anxious to have erected a steel bridge across one of the largest rivers in his province. This was to have been a memorial to himself, but it also was prevented by the war from coming into being.

"He was dignified both in appearance and in character," said Mr. Davison, "and was certainly loved by his people." Mr. Davison had no knowledge of the other man, Gabre Mariam, mentioned in the cables as having been killed about the same time as Baiyenna was. It was a common name in Abyssinia, said Mr. Davison. Though he is anxious to get back to Abyssinia, Mr. Davison is not sanguine of his prospects, and for the next twelve months at least will be in charge of the Newtown Congregational Church.