The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-01

Mig MeHellK OF -ADySSlHld IS the
greatest of royal traders. AS trust
magnate he can give American promo
ters cards and spades.
Throughout Abyssinia he is whole
trust in himself. He controls not one
industry or one line of trade, but every
industry and every line of trade.
He runs stores and factories, buys
the products of the natives at his own
price, and sells his European imports
to them for whatever he chooses to ask.
Anybody can compete with the king,
if he cares to try. Menelik does not OBJ
ject He might send a file of soldiers
and hale his trade rivals off to Jail, If
he chose; but he prides himself on be-
ing civilized monarch, and he has a
better scheme than that.
He is the tariff commissioner as well
as the lord high everything else in the
country, so he can charge what Gus
! toms dues he likes ON the goods that
his rivals import and exempt his own
goods from similar duties. If, tired of
importing, they try to become export
ers, he puts them out of business with
export duties, until they are glad
enough to sell their stuff to him for
whatever he cares to pay.
Most kings think trade derogatory to
their dignity. but Menelik holds differ
ent views, though he has a pedigree as
long and title as proud as any OF
| them. He claims lineal descent
from King Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba, and his royal title is Conquer
ing Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Meme
lik, appointed by God, Negus of Shoa
and Negus Nagasti (king of kings) OIL
Ethiopia
But though Menelik has such a
giants power ia matters of commerce,
he does not use it as giant. When
he buys goods from his people or sells
to them he fixes fairly reasonable
prices.
With all this Menelik cares nothing
for wealth. He lives as simply as 1t.
did in his youth, when he owned MOTH
ing save his horse and his spear.
After the Italian invasion of Ethiopia
you must never call it Abyssinia in
the country, for the Abyssinians
loathe, the name-most Of the natives
succufifbed to a severe attack Of Swell
ed head" They crushed the Italians,
and they thought they could easily do
the same to any other invaders, black
or brown, at any time.
But Menelik knew something Of the
power of the white nations, and also Oh
their land hunger
cat any moment" he reasoned, Il
may have to face far more serious
attack. / must have money to arm
| troops as the white men are armed.
| must buy cannons and hundreds Of
! thousands of rifles.
There is only one way to get the
! money I need. l must take all the
! trade and commerce of my country into
| my own hands, and make all the profit
| there is to be made.
at will not be too much for my
needs, and it will be better for my
country than letting white men make
| it and take it away to Europe with
| them"
That is why Menelik is really a
| merchant prince. The plan worked
| well. His people stand ready today to
| meet an invasion ten times more for
midable than that of the Italians.
| Some foreign ENJOYS have been I'M
| fortunate in their dealings with Meme
| lik. They made the mistake of regard
| ing h - as an ignorant savage.
| 1t lis the custom in Abyssinia for all
| foreign missions to bring presents to
| the Negus. The French brought lot
| of Partisan mechanical toys-sheep
| that squeaked, pigs that ran about ON
| their, hind legs and dolls that talked.
/ They thought such things would be
| certain to tickle the fancy of a dusky
| king.
Menehk looked at them for moment
| with disgust and rage, then he thrust
| them aside.
| DO you think he asked, that l am
! child or a savage, that / should de-
| light in toys?"
| The Russian and English emissaries
| showed truer insight into his charac-
| ter They brought him Mauser pistols.
| revolvers and the latest and best rifles
| they could buy. He was delighted.
/ "These are gifts worthy to be re-
| ceived by warrior and king" he de-
| clared.
| The influence of the Russians and
| English over Menelik dates from that
| lucky incident, but the French have al
| ways been badly represented at his
| court. After Kitcheners victory at
| Omdurman, the French at Adds Abe
ba assured Menelik that the English
had been beaten, with the loss of $4,000
men.
When he heard the truth later, that
Kitchener had crushed the dervishes
with the loss of only 32S of his soldiers,
he exclaimed in disgust:
What liars they are!"
Since then he has never believed a
v-Nrd the French ENJOYS have told him,