Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-17
PROTEST INVOLVES
SLAVERY QUESTION
American Construction Prof.
ect Is Brought Before
League of Nations.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
GENEVA. August l6.-Protests have
been received at the League Of Nations
against certain conditions said to be
attached TO concession held by the
j. g. White Engineering Corporation of
New York for the construction of public
works in AbySsinia. according to the
protests. the construction of these works
by the American company will involve
the use of slave labor.
The protests received here have come
from the British Anti-Slavery Society.
London; the Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom, Geneva,
and certain individuals.
The communications 20 the League
call attention to the fact that the
United States is a party to the anti
slavery convention concluded under
League auspices. They recall also that
the Washington Government in approx
ing the convention made a declaration
which went further than the terms of
the treaty itself in taking a positive
stand against slavery and forced labor.
The matter also is understood to
have been brought to the attention of
the State Department at Washington
by one or more OF the objecting parties.
Abyssinia has signed, but not ratified,
the an.i-Slavery convention
NEW YORK, August Is (P).-Gano
Dunn, president of the j. G. White En-
gineering Corporation, disclaimed yes
terday any intention of employing slave
labor in Abyssinia. imputed to the COM
pany in reports to the League of Ma
tons
He said that in preparation for be-
ginning great irrigation project in that
country. white engineers were about to
begin survey which probably would
take about two years and therefore
there would be no labor question at all
until the end of that period. When
labor is necessary, he said, free labor
will be hired.
Dunn's formal statement on the SUBJ
ject follows:
The ]. G. White Engineering Cor
poration has been employed by the En-
peror of Ethiopia (Abyssinia) to make
a survey and engineering report on GER
tain main highways in Ethiopia and a
dam and control works at Lake TSana,
the source of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia,
preliminary to construction work at the
lake.
THE dam and control works are for
the delivery of larger volume of water
to the Sudan for the irrigation program
of the Sudan government above Khar-
toum. The survey will occupy for a
year or more the engineers, who are
about to leave for Ethiopia.
The Emperor has formally informed
he j. @. White Engineering Corpora
ion that it Is his intention to have it
onstruct the dam at Lake Tsana, and
he roads.
"A vice president of our corporation
las twice visited Ethiopia and had
many conferences with the Emperor
md with the officials of his Ethiopian
government. From his reports and |
from all the other information we have |
obtained, we are convinced that the |
Emperor is radically opposed to slave |
labor and is doing everything In his |
power to eradicate every form of slav- |
cry in his kingdom, and We believe
also that the employment of slave labor |
by us or by any other foreigners con-
templating work in Ethiopia would be
obnoxious to the Emperor.
THE missionaries stationed in Ethi- {
opia are devoting particular attention
to the medical and sanitary phases of
and they are prepared to welcome our I
cooperation.
when the j. G. White Engineering /
Corporation undertakes any construc-
ton work in Ethiopia 1t will certainly
treat as free men all natives that it
employs and will, by proper construc-
ton camps and sanitation, introduce
conditions of working and well being |
that will meet the approval of en-
lightened humanitarianS in the United
States and elsewhere
I'VE anticipate that the Emperor will
not only insist on, but will cooperate
with US in bringing about these re-
suits. Our interest in the Ethiopian I
work is conditioned upon such cooper
alton"