The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-20
TEE QUESTION or ABYSSlNIA.
A situation Likely to Como Up fer In
ternational Consideration.

To THE EDITOR OF The sUN-Sh: The
Morocco matter having been definitely rele-
| gated to q conference TO be held In the autumn.
the next question that will call for interna-
tional consideration Ia that Of Abysslnia. The
situation there Is not unlike that In Morocco
In some respects. but is modified to the extent
| that Abyssinia has demonstrated the greater
solidarity Of Its people and has made itself
respected BY the victory over the Italians at
Adowa In 1885,
The difficulty In Abysslnla that is comm
| to head arose out Of the part played by
| NJ. Delcasse In connection with the concession
given by King Menelik to French company
for the construction Of a railway from tho
| port OF Jibutll In French Somaliland by
| Harrar to Adds Abeba. the capital OF Abys-
sinia, with eventual prolon cation to the Nile.
For full understanding Of the present status
Of the matter short sketch Of its origin and
course IL necessary.
When, In 1885, after the italian defeat at
Adowa, NJ Delcasse entered the French For
eign Once, he found the position Of France
In Abyssinia one entirely out Of the common
In the relations Of highly civilized Power
His predecessors. having dropped the earlier
stttuds tSSEard mag
supported the national policy Of the Negus
and were regarded by an enormous pre-
Ss court of o% 5 the French
respect The int s!!tz y EtSIepis y ssssslns
ysH%sss ~ s ssn enea 3 ss Gsss!ie
nouncing all idea Of territorial expansion Of
It's protectorste on the somall coast at the
FROM From that sG moment French citizens had
free access to the Interior, received numer.
Gus agricultural, industrial and commercial
estant and Catholic, were allowed to settle
freely ln any part Of the country. :,
the srssest vso &c Of al was tie
and Chefneux to construct railway bringing
AbysslnIa into connection with the Red Sea
and Italy from. direct communication with
the outer world. the outlet for Abyssi,ian
trads was found at the French port Of il,
Company Yves % S5s SS6 n 1895 With
Begun early in 1851 the work went on salts
factorily, and some forty kiometers Of the
line were in, operation when NJ. Delcasse be-
moment the attitude Of the French Govern
ment toward the railway enterprise and King
sto spheres q influence, British. italian and
death Of Menelik. At one moment It seemed
az II the Ras Makonnan had been gained over
to this policy of NJ. Delcasse. who would have
made OF him kind Of Bey Of Tunis in a French
protecttorate. but he later receded from the
offered prospective.
,, Having II, in this way thoroughly alienated
Addis.Abeba began an aggressive cotton
the clergy Of the national Coptic Church.
The result was that NJ enelik adopted rigorous
measures. and a number Of congregations
that had mission stations were expelled from
the country; They were. however. allowed
localities.
The confusion produced In the political
relations of France with .Abysania by the
Delcasse policy was not long in spreading
way Company. the vital chord Of the elabor-
ately worked uIp plan. of his predecessors.
nearly proved its ruin. and how the ADVANTAGE
situation by two other Powers. acting in ac-
cord. brought about the despatch OF the
German mission to Addis-Abeba under Baron
Rosen. will require for explanation another
communication. PERA
NEW YORE Univ