Evening star., 1923-11-30
AbYSS|N|A LAST
J SLAVERY OUTPOST
Prevalence Of. Condition Is
Bar to Entry Into League
+ of Nations.

"Abyssinia, whose formal applica-
tion for admission to the league Of
nations has not been acted upon by
that body because of the prevalence
or slavery in the country. is the only
Tree and Independent state in the
whole of Africa, except Egypt and
Lioeria, according to bulletin of
the National Geographic Society is
sued from its headquarters in this city.
1T seems paradoXical. too. that one
OF the three free states in Africa,
iSlnS in the protruding portion of
the eastern part of the continent.
should also be the last home of open
slavery.
More Slaves Thnn Freemen.
One traveller through the country
said that he believed there We're more
slaves in it's capital. Adds Ababa,
than there were freemen. Servants
or Europeans living in the country
1t is impossible for Americans or
other foreigners to keep from owning
slaves, because if a slave happens to
be given to a resident of the coun-
try. there is no known method by
which he may be emancipated If
he is set free he is subject 10 capture
and enslavement by some one else.
In fact, so many of the people of
the outlying districts have been cap
tured, chained together and taken
In droves into the great slave mar
ket at Jimma that it is possible to
march for mile after mile, day after
day, through once fiourishing ag-
ricultural district without seeing a
man, woman or child. Recently 1t
has been reported that the traders
are beginning. for lack of people In
their own country. to make raids into
the neighboring Kenya colony, the
tch a C
their quarries.
Swear "By Menelik."
'Few countries show such a mark.
ed change during a short period OF
ten years as Abyssinia has since the
death of it's grand old man, Menelik,
who was so progressive in his ideas
that Italy gave his country-the an
cient empire of Ethiopia--its inde-
pendence. To swear by Menelik' is
today the most binding oath a native
can take.
IN his time a child might drive a
COW from the confines of the city TO
a remote corner of the kingdom with
out being molested. but today that
same child, grown to manhood might
be snatched up before he had proceed
ed very far on his journey and sold
into slavery in some distant city.
THE old king, during his reign of
q quarter of a century, built up his
capital city, laid out metaled roads
anu railway lines, lnSldlieu
and promoted banking, schools. sani-
tation. water supply, hospitals and
definite system of law and order.
Today his railroad is under French
management and depends upon the
French for its financial backing, the
streets are neglected and even the
foreign legations have to be barri-
caded to keep out the brigands.
Nation Nominally Christian.
'Abyssinia also enjoys a peculiar
distinction among the native states of
the continent. Since the fourth GEN.
,tury 1t has been known as a Chris
tian nation. Menelik's vain and ar
rogant successor bound a gorgeous
Moslem turban around his woolly
head. however, and turned the faces
of his people toward Mecca in order
that he might satisfy his desire for
a harem. But when he was deposed
In 1915 and daughter of Menelik,
Wai8eru Zauditu, and Ras Taffari
were proclaimed rulers the historic
faith was restored. Il
The tactful individual who wishes
to get himself into the good graces
OF the natives always remembers
that he must speak of them as
Bthiopians, for the term Abyssinian
means 'mongrel.' and probably came
into usage originally because it is
so mixed population, ranging from
certain light-skinned individuals of
Mediterranean stock, through mu-
latto and dusky- skinned Arab 10
high yellow. gingerbread and the
true blacks.
"The Ethiopians speak of Euro
peans as the red faces Many Of
meat, and the warmer and fresher the
kill the better thew like il I"