King Country Chronicle. Tuesday, September 3, 1935. OIL CONCESSIONS IN ABYSSINIA

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4741, 3 September 1935, Page 4

King Country Chronicle. Tuesday, September 3, 1935. OIL CONCESSIONS IN ABYSSINIA

The news that an extensive oil concession has been granted by Abyssinia to an Anglo-American company is certainly a dramatic development, coming as it does on the eve of the League of Nations’ meeting to consider Italy’s case. On the face of things it appears to be an attempt, on the part of Abyssinia, to embarrass that case so far as Italy’s demands of political influence and economic occupation are concerned, and also to obstruct that country’s war of conquest. That this latest move will prove to be a factor in any settlement in regard to territorial interests in East Africa seems very probable. There is not the slightest doubt, however, that this latest development is going to clash with Signor Mussolini’s openly avowed objectives. His desire for military vengeance for the costly Adowa defeat in 1896 is purely propaganda ,for home consumption, issued with the idea' of inflaming national sentiment and is not likely to be emphasised before the League Council. Redress for the alleged recent grievances and the policy of establishing supremacy in Abyssinia by territorial expansion and economic control are the only remaining points in Italy’s case. Should Abyssinia’s action in granting this concession be held to be valid, it will be inimical to Italy’s programme, especially 1 at it applies to such a large area. While Abyssinian sovereignty is unquestioned, there arises the point as to whether the making of such a bargain without reference to the Governments of Britain, France and Italy, is in keeping with the treaty of 1906, and it will be generally conceded that such a concession should be brought within the scope of operation of this international agreement. The granting of this concession, which would tend to develop Abyssinia on modern lines, would most probably be sanctioned by two of the parties to the 1906 treaty, but naturally Italy would strongly object, as it would automatically remove their strongly asserted claim to supremacy in the | “civilising” of Abyssinia as a prime | reason for their aggressive designs on that country. The locality of the concession is in the low-lying areas of Danakil and Somaliland, districts which Italy has particularly desired as spheres of control within the illdefined Abyssinian frontier on the east. It also crosses the only possible route of railway connection between Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. But for the Emperor Haili Selassie’s bad opinion of Italy as a neighbour, a concession such as has been given to the Anglo-American company, may have been granted to Italy some considerable time ago, but Mussolini desires more than a concession—he demands a military protectorate over the whole country. Whether the Emperor’s latest move will be held legal remains to be proved, but considering that the greater part of the capital proposed to be expended on the enterprise is to be found by America, that country’s voice may conceivably have considerable weight in the discussions regarding the future of Abyssinia. Latest advices state that the Emperor’s shrewd move has caused consternation among the foreign legations at Addis Ababa, but that he is prepared to stand firm, whatever may be the pressure from abroad.