ABYSSINIAN CONCESSION

Evening Star, Issue 19709, 9 November 1927, Page 5

ABYSSINIAN CONCESSION

THE BLUE NILE DAM EGYPTIAN OPPOSITION DISCREDITED. PraM Asiociation—By Telegraph—Copyright, NEW Y’ORK, November 7. The Washington correspondent of the ‘ Sun ’ states that the J. G. White Engineering Corporation has tho full backing of tho United States Government in its proposal to build tho dam, and the reports from Cairo that tho Egyptian Government is aroused over what is termed an unfriendly act are discredited; aud it is pointed out that when •the facts are learned the affair will not appear so important as the cables indicate. Tho Abyssinian Government representative received tho approval of the State Department before concluding the agreement with Mr White, . Tho State Department understands that matters are being discussed in London with a view to reaching an agreement. QUESTIONS IN COMMONS. Presi Asiociation—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, November 8. (Received November 9, at 11.45 a.qi.) In the House of Commons Sir Austen Chamberlain informed a questioner that he had received reports stating that the Abyssinian Government had granted an American company a concession for the construction of a dam on the Blue Nile. At present there was no ollieial information on the subject. Such a concession would be a violation of the Auglo-Abyssiniau treaty of 1902, under which Abyssinia agreed nut to allow a dam to bo built without Britain’s consent.. Ho was confident' that Abyssinia was, not unmindful of this obligation. Asked if the British and the' Americans wore to light over the] matter, Sir Austen Chamberlain sc. id; that ho thought that this was a hypothetical question. He might, in Hie public interest, state that no question had arisen between Britain and Ha*., United .States, Ho did not anticipate any Anglo-American difficulties.—A. and N.Z. and ‘ Sun' Cable. THE POSITION CLEARE” * i ■ 1 BRITAIN'S PERMISSION ? NECESSARY. f _ ( (British Official News.), \ Press Association—By Wireless—Copyright*) RUGBY, November 8. i (Received November 9, at noon.) 1 Tho position regarding the reports that an envoy of the Abyssinian Government had signed an agreement with an American engineering corporation for the construction of a dam across' the waters of the Blue Nile at Lake Tsana, has been largely cleared by a, statement made to tho Press by Dr Warngch Martin, the envoy concerned, who reached Liverpool yesterday from tho United States. Dr Martin suit! that no contract or an agreement had been signed, and it was clearly understood that by reason of the Anglo-Abyssinian treaty of 1902, no such dam could he constructed without the approval of the British Government.