ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17951, 1 December 1932, Page 7

ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

EFFORTS OF THE LEAGUE LORD CECIL PRAISED (British Official Wireless.) Rec. 10 a.m. RUGBY, Nov. 30. [Sir John Simon to-day paid a tribute to Lord Cecil for his work at Geneva to abolisli tho slavery that still remains in various parts of the world. It would be an immense achievement, he said, if the new and greater parliament of the world at Geneva could do something which corresponded to what was done in our national life by Wilberforce and his friends. One of the great tenets of usefulness at Geneva would be whether the nations would, ot would not, be able to •see something real done in the next few years for the cffectivo abolition of slavery from the world. Sir John Simon is returning to Geneva on Thursday. ABYSSINIA TEST STRIKING PROCLAMATION (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Presa Assn.) GENEVA, Oct. 13. There is a ring of the Old Testament about a proclamation issued by Haile Sillassie, King of Kings, Emperor of Ethiopia, describing, the liberation of the slaves of his great, rival Has Hailu. The proclamation, which was read in tho League Assembly by. Viscount.Cecil, says:— ‘ ‘ We hereby manumit all you slaves who were in the possession of Ras Hailu. And all you chiefs who arc in charge of Ras Hailu's houses, property, and estates, are ordered to bring all the slaves of Ras Hailu who are under your.supervision and hand them over against receipts to the judge whom we have appointed for the emancipation of slaves. Those who arc young should he handed over by October 21.” It is felt that the execution of this proclamation will be a test of strength between the Emperor and Ras Hailu; who is one of the most powerful of the Abyssinian provincial satraps.