Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-22
CONSUL SWIMMERS TRIP
RESULTS OF HIS VISIT TO THE
EMPEROR OF ABYssINIA.
Most Favored Nation Privileges
Obtained - Nine Days in
Conference.


How the Tilted States has come into trade
! relations with a new region containing
ten millions of people is briefly and modest
| ly told in the report to Mr.. Loomis the as
sistant secretary of state. of Robert p.
| Skinner, the American consul general at
| Marseilie, France, on his highly success
| full special mission to Abyssinia last Mo-
vember. for the purpose of negotiating with
| King Menelik a trade treaty and to col
| lect Information about the commercial re-
sources of that country. As result of
| this mission. Mr.. Skinner negotiated a
! treaty which. il acceptable will secure for
the United States the most favored nation
| privileges in Ethiopia, and will guarantee
to American citizens and merchandise. i'm
munity from determinations in rates on all
public roads and lines of communication
In addition, Mr.. Skinner prevailed on
King Menelik to accept invitation for
his country to participate in the St Louis
exposition and preliminary arrangements
for comprehensive exhibit at st. Louis
have been made. The king will send. dur
ing the coming summer. commission of
distinguished and representative men, who
Will have charge of the exhibit.
Valuable Seeds Obtained.
Mr.. Skinner. after narrating these facts,
says:
Acting on behalf of the Agricultural De-
partment 1 have secured collection of the
seeds of the more important crops peculiar
| to Ethiopia. a number of which may be
found valuable in the exploitation of the
uncultivated western lands of the United
States now being made available by the
extension of our irrigation system. I have
also in hand material for a report on the
agricultural resources of Abyssinia. The
Agricultural Department particularly de-
sired to secure a collection of wild coffee
rinany aAa1H al
not be obtained during my visit but have
been ordered. and ultimately will be for
warded. Such collection could be found
only in Kaffa. remote province. access
to which involves long and expensive
Journey The experts of the Agricultural
department have a theory that the de-
generation of the modern coffee plantation
IS due to the fact that coffee culture has
from Arabia. and that by getting back to
the wild coffee plant. the habitat of which
Is the province of Katie, new variety
may be created. the value of which will be
lncaicuiable. My endeavOr to obtain a pair
Oh large zebras for cross-breeding purposes
was also In vain. These animals are ex-
ceedingly rare and fficult to capture alive
1 nave LETT instructions, however. In regard
10 TINS matter. and trust to be able to sup
ply TWO OF these animals some time In the
future.
The presence of the mission in Ethiopja
mas had the erect of turning her attention
d
source of supply for many manufactured
articles for which an expanding market is
certain to result upon the completion of the
railway, and as probable consuming mar
ket Tor Such products may be available
for export
Mr.. Skinner records in detail this expe-
dltion to Abyssinia from the time he left
New York on October ND to the dav on
which he set SAIL January IL He calls at
tentlon to the prompt facilities which the
french government offered for the progress
Oh the expedition across French territory.
Reception by the Emperor.
Mr. Skinner gives this picturesque de-
scrlption of his reception by the emperor:
Two hours after camping. accompanied
by NJ. ChefneuX, counselor of state. the
mission set out for the Aderach or seat
OF government. accompanied by an ETH
oplan escort of 5000 men under the com
mand of a distinguished general Although
our reception at Harrar had not been de-
void OF military pomp, we were astonished
and our appreciation of the picturesque
grained by this first glimpse of Ethiopian
troops upon a ceremonial occasion Ar
rayed In gorgeous silks and satins, with
hon and leopard skin nantes gold and
SILVER plated bucklers. carrying lances from
which hoated the national colors, mounted
upon spirited norses, they galloped into
FORMATION. the very order of which was
an apparent disorder. shifting like a kale-
doscope and constituting a scene as in
deScriDaDie as Ii was memorable. A band
OF Shawn players heralded our coming
with weird music which has not changed
since the fall of Jericho.
AT the palace or Guehi our escort fell
back. and the mission. always accompanied
by tire marines and blue jackets, proceeded
through SerieT of Courtyards and "A fter
receiving salute from a company of 200
native artillerymen under the command of
European official and further salute of
twenty-One guns in honor of the United
States, we entered the Aiderach. an au-
dience chamber of cathedral-like proper
lions and form. The emperor sat upon
this throne, surrounded by his more i'm
portant advisers. representing the admin
lstratiye departments. the judiciary the
army and the church. Back of the two
rows of pillars supporting the roof were
massed several thousands of the leading
people of the Adds-Ababa all in holiday
regalia Our reception was cordial but
formal
Nine Days in Conference.
For~n mine days Mr.. Skinner was in confer
ence with the emperor and his chiefs of
state
Whatever may be the results of this
| mission" he concludes. lit is certain that
If the treaty be ratified it will have regular
lied an uncertain condition where we had
an existing trade interest of value and
have placed us in a position to profit by
eVentuaiitleS. In view of the fact that we
have sustained diplomatic relat tons with
every power of Importance on the face of
the earth for many years, and in many
cases where material interests were
very much inferior to those which we have
in Ethiopia. the surprising fact is not that
We have sent mission into Africa at this
time. but that we did not do it many years
before
At present there Is annual importa-
ton of cotton sheetings from the United
States to Ethiopia to the value of 1919 600
1t Is poin.--- out that Ethiopia can supply
millions of raw skins, for which there is an
increasing need In this country.
COMMERCE OF PHILIPPINES.