Britain's Interest in Abyssinia

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 43, 21 February 1936, Page 7

Britain's Interest in Abyssinia

Secret Report Published In Rome FIRST-CLASS DIPLOMATIC SENSATION United Press Association— By Eiectrio Telegraph.—Copyrigli t. Received Thursday, 9.40 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 20. A first-class diplomatic sensation has ben caused by the Giornale D’ltalia’s publication of the Maffcy report, says the Daily Telegraph. The Foreign Office is completely mystified as to how an official document belonging to the British Government passed into the hands of a foreign country. It is suggested in Rome thatit was procured by a “clever piece of indiscretion.” The report was never published, says the Telegraph, owing, to the gravity of the Abyssinian situation. It would, however, be distributed to the departments concerned, also to members of Cabinet, but the Foreign Office must possess a complete list of the copies issued. Therefore, there should not be any difficulty in finding which one is missing. The matter will undoubtedly be investigated scarcliingly. The Government certainly will not allow so flagrant ,an interference in its private affairs to pass without doing its utmost to discover how it occurred. The Rome correspondent says the publication of the report is regarded as an attempt to discredit the policy of the Britis i Foreign Office. Independent Abyssinia ; Preferred PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS reached Received Thursday, 11.50 p.m. ROME, Feb. J 9. The Giornale d’ltalia gives prominence to the report of a committee under the chairmanship of Sir Joan Maffcy, which was presented to the British Foreign Office on Juno IS, 190.>. Lt states that Italy would shortly endeavour to control Abyssinia, where, though there were no vital British interests compelling Britain to oppose Italian conquest, an independent Abyssinian -would bo preferable, from .t e viewpoint of Imperial defence, to an Italian Ethiopia, which would compel Britain to safeguard her interests in connection with tho Nile tributaries by creating a Sudan corridor. LONDON, Feb. 21.

The Giornale d’ltalia says the principal conclusions reached by the MafCey inter-departmental committee are are follow: — . Firstly: Italy certainly during the coming years will do her _ utmost to secure control of Abyssinia, although she may at present limit her action to conquering the lowlands bordering Italian Somaliland. . Secondly: There are no vital British interests in Abyssinia or adjoining countries necessitating British resistance to the Italian conquest of Abyssinia. As fur as local British interests arc concerned it would be a matter of indifference whether Abyssinia remained independent or was absorbed by Italy. . Thirdly: From the standpoint of imperial defence an independent Abyssinia would be preferable to an Italian Abyssinia, but the threat to British interests appears distant and -would depend only on war against Italy, which at present appears improbable. Fourthly: Tho principal British interest in Abyssinia is Lake Tana and the basin of the Nile, wherein the Egyptian Government also has an interest that must be protected. Should Abyssinia disappear as an independent State the British Government should try to obtain territorial coatroi over the” lake and over the corridor joining it with the Sudan. Fifthly: Although British commercial intrests in Abyssinia are negligible, every effort should be made in the event of Italy absorbing Abyssinia to ensure equal treatment of Biitish subjects on Abyssinian territory. That is to say an effort should bo made to obtain a policy of an “open door” in Abyssinia. The report, according to the Giornale d’ltalia, also contains tho following statement: "Whereas in the . event of an Anglo-Italiau war an efficient Italian control over Abyssinia would menace neighbouring British , possessions, it would be a boon in normal, everyday administration. Italian rigidity over the grazing grounds beyond the frontiers • of British .Somaliland might be expected to bo softened if Italy satisfied her ambitions by the conquest of Abyssinia, and though Abyssinia’s control over the frontier districts had improved in recent years, the neighbouring administrations would undoubtedly obtain advantages from and would welcome au efficient Italian administration. Tho advantages would certainly counterbalance the loss of British prestige among the Somalis in consequence of the fame the Italians would win as a result of their Abyssinian conquests.” The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent -says the Maffcy Committee was appointed in February, 1955, following the Italian Government’s suggestion that as tho French Government had defiued its interests in Abyssinia the British might be similarly prepared to indicate where British interests in Abyssinia lay. It was further suggested that it might - then be possible to react ail agreement be.-.

tween the interested Powers regarding the potential spheres o£ interest .in Abyssinia. The committee held a number of meetings but did not reach conclusions until mid-June. By then' the Italian activities in Abyssinia had taken on so grave an aspect that the British Government vras obliged to inform Italy that it would not be able to enter the suggested discussion. The committee's report was therefore never Published., '' • ~\