Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-11

and possessed OF a mad desire 20 reiga
when Menelik shall have disappeafeds
Having no children. issue OF her marriage
TO Menelik. she Is opposed 20 the src3
cession OF Lidj Eyassu, the SON OF
Banafa's daughter.
The Empress Taitu besides 81 .
non-progressist. She opposes occi-
dental influence altogether. Railways.
motor cars. telegraph and aerial In
ventions are abhorrent To her. These
innovations have scarcely gotten DC
yond the realm OF projects. and their
failure so far delights the soul or
Taitu. who may be an important fac
tor In the discord the concessions or
construction have engendered in the
souls OF the concessionaires.
In the summer OF 1908 Menelik SUI
fered a stroke OF paralysis. The question
OF the succession now became an inl-
portant subject at court Meneiik. as
soon as sufficiently re-established. APP
pointed a council Of regents composed
OF the Empress Taitu. Ras Apte Gior-
gis. formerly minister of war. and ac-
tually minister OF foreign affairs. and
Ras Tesama. trusted friend OF tne
Emperor The council met in 1908 and
designated Prince Eyassu. heir pre-
sumptive. with Rss Tesama guar
dian and regent. The prince. II may he
added. has been educated with great
care. speaks French. German and Eng
lish and " greatly attracted by Euro
pean culture.
Menelik has Entrusted TO Eas Tesa-
ma and Ras Apte GiorGis a political
testament which will serve his sue
cessor a program OF government CAL
culated 10 benefit the general interests
of the state. The wise Menelik. with
the knowledge Of the intrigues OF his
spouse at the moment OF the announce
ment of the heir presumptive Lidt
Evassu Ras Michael the father OF the
prince. was i'm the Tigre at the head
OF several thousand soldiers. 50 as TO
he ready TO suppress any attempt -
revolt which the empress may have
fostered.
The empress however, was not entirely
fooled Aided by her friends In choa. she
surrounded the stricken emperor with =
Gordon OF her own partisans Bnf the
council was vigiiant and nothing was 81
fected hv the empress. Toward the end
OF I.sfs the emperor recovered In great
measure from his malady and thus
checked the disposition Of the empress -
oppose the emperors policy
Now. in April. iaoa. there appeared AZ
the palace Herr ZintGrsr. drasoran %
the German legation ,st
German Adds Abeba. Herr Tint
graft was accompanied h.
Ooctois' Or Steinkuhler. both ~
whom had been conyoked by Ras Michael
whose German predictions are very Veil
accepted b. the empress. hut Herr Zin'-
graft. for reasons which do not appear.
was refused TIE empress might desi
with one German intermeddler. hut she
might not compete with two. 50 Herr
ZintgraN was ordered out.
on the occasion Of q grand Ahyssin'ar
festival at the capital the marriage o.
prince Eyassu was consummated NTH
Princess Romano the seven-y r-o'f
daughter Of Emperor Johannes. Tie
ceremony took place Nav Ia. nos. in rho
presence of Menelik This was intended
as another link in the chain which Meme
Xix was forging between Choa and TiEre
for tho union If Abyssinia. The empress.
however. looked upon il check upon
her own aspirations. With boidness
and audacity almost incredible Taifu
raused the rame of Eyassu 10 he erased
from a proclamation ny the emperor re-
quiring princes and people TO swear hder-
~ 70 the heir apparent.
About thfs time Meneltk's rondftfon
grew worse and the empress seized the
occasion to refuse 20 DR.. Steinkuhler ac-
cess To the emperor. In plare OF the Ger
man she summoned Syrian physician.
who unfortunately. in the electrical
treatment administered too violent n
shock and the emperor's case was ae-
sravated. The empress then had re-
course to priests. prayers and snoint-
ments When this came 20 the knowieASe
IF Or Steinkuhier he protested ard In q
letter To tho regent. Ras Giorgfs, he
charged that the emperor's attendants
were trying 70 poison the emperor. Now
Zintgraf. who was imperial chancellor
and Judge Of the German legation. en-
tertained the charges made before him
against two favorites of the palace. The
finance minister Mulegebe. and the min
lister Of the Household Matafari sup
ported the charges. and. sssoriating
themselves with Dir. Steinkuhler de
manded the arrest 81 the accused. The
emperor ordered a court OF inquiry which
exonerated the accused. The emperor. In
dignant at the action OF the Germans.
dismissed them. What was done 70 RE
unfortunate ministers is not recounted
The empress profted by this incident
to foment a revolt in Tigre Again Meme
Xix suffered another AZ
Successor tack and again recovered
Exasperated by the in
Noncu' trigues Of lie empress -
issued proclamation in which Iiii
E.yassu was again designated a. his sue
cessor This time the terms and Tire
reading by the high priest were given
special significance. The imperial proc
lamation said:
IF any one should be so bold as n
refuse to obey Eyassu and throw the
kingdom in disorder may the malediction
incurred by Judah and the anathema
launched against Arius fall upon him.
May the land abjure him who abjure~