“GRAFT” IN ABYSSINIA.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 45, 4 February 1911, Page 11

“GRAFT” IN ABYSSINIA.

Some amusing descriptions of life at the court of Menelik, Emperor of Abyssinia, were given during the hearing in London, of an action brought by Hassis Ycfekbi, a_ Syrian, against the Imperial Ethiopian Rubber Company. Mr Ydilibd, who bias spent his life in exploring Abyssinia and the Soudlan, was the principal representative of the rubber company in the Emperor’s territory, and obtained valuable concessions from his Majesty, whose association with the undertaking opened the eyes of- the directors in England to the prevalence of “graft” in the Ethiopian Kingdom. The directors apparently Mere not satisfied with Mr Ydlibi’s generous recognition of the prevailing system, and it was his dismissal that caused him to take action against the company. His counsel, .Sir Edward Carson, pictured Menelik's court as a “paradise of itching palms.” The Emperor does what he pleases in his own dominions,” he said. “When the company tras formed he was allotted 20,000 shares. For reasons which we need not serutini e too closely, 10.000 mere were distributed among the nobles of his court. In a letter to the chairman, a director of the eoinpany wrote: “I dare :\v you have seen the photo of Alciielik opening the rainproof stores. it ■ <><t £BOO to get the old ’inn to come, besides many other prvavy-ts.” _ Air Yd bi stated that the diffi;-uk:es of i ogotir.ting with the Emperor were enormous.* On one occasion he wins grained an audience, and the first

words uttered by Menelik were: I “What• about my shares? What about the money that is due to n:e on the rubber already collected. I must have this matter settled at once before I can discuss anything. Mr ! Ydlibi gravely assured the court that ; it was a religious custom, Fike a cus- 1 I toiner of Solomon’s times, far a vis- : I itor to the Emperor to hand over a : sirbdantial gift to a member of his suite. Perhaps Mr Ydlibi was over; I anxious to anticipate the wishes of i I the old gentleman who describes him- ■ I self as “king of kings, of Ethopia/ ’ ‘ | It was stated that “the only thing 1 I that kept Mr Ydlibi going was the; ! lavish manner in distributing pres- j j ents.’’ and he appears to have fallen • ! a victim to his own generosity.