Evening star., 1954-05-23

This pattern has now been
changed with the federation
Of Eritrea, O former Italian
colony. and Ethiopia under the
crown Of Halle Selassie. This
federation gave TO Ethiopia
the ports Of Assab and Mas
sawa on the Red Sea. In an
ticipation, Of the acquisition
Of these ports the Ethiopian
government borrowed several
million dollars from the Inter-
national Bank for Reconstruc-
ton and Development, then
more than matched these
funds with local currency ap-
propriations. and began to con-
vert the almost impossible
roads to these ports into high-
speed highways capable Of
handling the large 1eet Of
trucks that now compete with
the railroad In carrying the
commerce to and from the
sea. The result has been not
only Q far greater volume Of
commerce but also q far
cheaper cost OF transporta-
ton.
Only o Beginning
Despite the remarkable
progress that has been made
during the past few years
under the leadership Of Halle
Selassie, it must truly be said
that this is only the beginning.
Patience Is a great virtue. But
more impatience and more ex-
pressed dissatisfaction with
present conditions in this and
other underdeveloped coun-
tries could speed the rate OF
progress toward a better life.
Agricultural experts have
made the statement that
Ethiopia could become the
bread basket Of the Middle
East. Yet, there are in Ethi-
opia thousands upon thou
sands of acres Of some Of the
richest land in the world. wa
tered by an adequate and de-
pendable rainfall. which are
either not in production at all
or produce to q grossly made
Quate extent.
Only q small fraction OF the
actual and potential coffee
production ever finds its way
to q coffee-short world.
While meat is an almost un-
known luxury to millions Of
neighboring peoples. Of the 80
million head of cattle that
Craze on the lush grass OF the
Ethiopian plateau only the
cattle hides and q trickle of
the meat are exported. The
remainder of the meat Is
wasted or overconsumed.
Experts have shown that q
high grade Of cotton can be
produced in Ethiopia. as it was
produced in the time Of the
Queen of Sheba, but cotton to
supply the local textile mills
is imported from Texas.
Sugar Is one Of the principal
imports of the country, but it
was only within the past two
years that Dutch capital has
installed q modern sugar re-
fnery and planted thousands
of acres of sugar cane. Very
soon Ethiopia viii be self
sufficient in refined sugar and
win be able to- export to her
neighboring countries.
U. S. Technical Aid
The United States technical
assistance program has been
doing outstanding work during
the past three years in helping
to show the way to agricultural
and industrial progress. Under
a contract. with the Oklahoma
Agricultural and Mechanical
College the United States Gov
ernment has been able to pro-
vide top flight agricultural
experts to Ethiopia.
Ethiopia. as one Of the few
truly independent areas In the
whole vast African continent,
may yet lead the way in the
economic development there.
If that should be the case, it
will be because the economic
planning Of the Emperor is
founded upon the sound prin-
ciple that only as the stand
ard Of the health and educa-
ton Of the great bulk Of the
people is raised can q lasting
prosperity be expected.
There is not now nor likely
to be a threat Of communism
in Ethiopia.