Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-05
ETH|0P|A'S APPEAL
TO i. s. FOR HELP.
|SSTUD|ED BY HULL
Secretary Will Not Approach
President Until Note
Text Arrives.
PUBLICITY ANGLE IN
MOVE is CITED HERE
Emperor Believed Wishing to Call
Situation to Attention to Cut
Off Aid to Italy.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.


Secretary of State Hull today was
studying carefully the appeal of En-
peror Halle Selassie OF Ethiopia 70 the
United States, invoking the Kellogg
pact to assist Dis Country in its diff
culties with Italy.
The appeal was handed to American
Charge d'Affaires William Perry
George at Adds Apaba yesterday.
George cabled the State Depart
ment that Emperor Selassie had sum-
moned him to the ralace Yesterday
and made an oral request thai the
United States tcrSiGer WAYS and
means to induce Italy to live up to its
obligations under the pact.
After the interview, George report
ed, according to the Associated Press,
he was handed lengthy written
statement setting forth the king of
kings" views Of The Italo-Ethiopian
dispute and requesting the friendly
Offices of the American Government
In achieving a peaceful solution
This note, reported from Adds
<Abobu W SOAIAkIl LOG AIFC Pd6Oc, 1ldS 1lOI
yet been received at the department.
but Georges summary was received
today. 1t is unlikely that Hull will
approach President Roosevelt on the
matter until the full text has arrived
here.
To Confer With Advisers.
Hull is determined not to form
any hasty conclusion and before
formulating any definite policy in
addition to the President will con-
suit his advisers in charge of the
Western European and the Near
Eastern divisions in the State De-
partment.
In official quarters it is believed
that Selassie's appeal was instigated
by his foreign mentors in Adds
Ababa and is likely to have more of
a publicity than diplomatic i'm
portance. 1t is pointed out that En-
peror Selassie skilfully chose the
Fourth of July as the date to re-
lease his appeal to the United States.
Furthermore, the Ethiopian ruler was
fully aware of the United States
reluctance to get mixed up in the
Ethiopian-Italian row, since last
Winter his Geneva representative had
been told unofficially that there is no
possibility whatsoever of American in
tervention in that conflict.
The United States, like Ethiopia,
Italy and most of the other nations of
the world, are signatories of the KEEL
logg pact But since the japanese ag-
erosion against China in 1881, it has
become more than evident that the
Kellogg pact is nothing but a solemn
promise of all nations not to fight each
other for the sake of self-aggrandize-
ment. There is no possible means of
coercing any nation to keep its pledges.
Americas Experience.
The American Government has tried
to use the Kellogg pact in vain since
1881, and the only results it has OBJ
tanned is an increased tension with
Japan.
Some of the American diplomats
who still have faith in that peace in
otk uAhCA1ty AAoAltpAl t1idO ~ WOulO NC
foolish for any nation to raise the
question of that pact as long as the
European nations cannot be brought
together to form common and sin
cere front against the aggressor.
Under the circumstances, it appears
to diplomatic observers highly improb-
able that this country will allow itself
to be drawn again into a controversy
and left Ito hold the bag alone" as
has been the case in the Sino- japanese
conflict.
High officials point out that the
League of Nations, of which Italy and
Ethiopia are members in good stand
ing, has a powerful machinery to pre-
vent an aggressive war, if it chooses
to do so. The League can enforce an
embargo which would be extremely
damaging to Italy and would render
her powerless to wage a long war
against Ethiopia. Hence, the Eth
opians would have a better chance
to defend themselves by applying to
Geneva. 1t has become evident, how
ever, that the League will do nothing
to defend Ethiopia. Consequently, the
chances of the United States coming
out in favor of that independent
African empire are less than nil.
All these facts are well known to
Selassie and in sending his appeal to
the United States he had in mind