Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-17
BY SMITH HEAiPsTONE

SOmAH teAucto AcNt tthat tttN
United States may sell them
out to Ethiopia In exchange
for Ethiopian good viii and
military bases.
There is little doubt that
Ethiopia has designs on her
Indian Ocean neighbor. Em-
peror Halle Selassie. in q speech
made to Somalis who live un-
easily on the Ethiopian side Of
the border, made this quite
plain last year. He cited the
unity Of the Ethiopian and
Somali peoples. limited that
Somalia could not survive with
out some form Of federation
with Ethiopia.
Somalis don't see II that way.
They maintain that they are Of
different ethnic stock. speak .
different language. worship .
different eod. and are much
more politically advanced than
their Ethiopian neighhors. They
have no desire to unite with
Ethiopia under any conditions
and maintain that Somalia viii
fight before she win submit
to such Q union.
Pretext Of Intervention
Somali leaders fear that
Ethiopia win use the border
dispute between the two coun-
tries as the pretext TO intervene
In Somali affairs.
The question Of the dispute
Is o long and complex one. It
began soon after Italy took
over. Somalia at the turn Of
the century. Negotiations be-
tween Italy and Ethiopia failed
to establish a border mainly
because the two sides. could not
agree on the locations Of sew
eral life-giving wells and graz
ing lands.
The question became aca-
demic In 1885 when Italy con-
Quered Ethiopia and extended
the Somali border inland for
administrative purposes to in
clude Ethiopian Sonalis. When
the British took Somalia and
liberated Ethiopia. they con-
tinued to administer the
Somali areas Of Ethiopia until
1913 when areas which the
Somaiis claim belong 70 them
were turned over to Ethiopia
and British Somaliland.
Frequent Incidents
Border incidents in the dis
puted area have been frequent
and bloody and. although Ethi-
opia and Italy. on behalf Of
Somalia. have been negotiating
the question for several years,
no solution Is in sight.
A United Nations visiting
commission has suggested q
neutral zone Alcng the border
with free access to water and
grazing for all tribes. This
would be Jointly polieed by the
two countries.
Snnali leaders have pressed
on the United Nations their
feeling that settlement Of the
border question prior 70 So
uiaiia's independence in 1850
is essential to her national Sc
curity.
They teeI that If the question
IS not decided BY the time
Somalia GETS her freedom, Ethi-
opia win encourage tribal raids
across the border, then move
south under the pretext Of
maintaining order.
These same leaders fear that
United States interests in Ethi-
opia as . Middle Eastern base
may lead US TO accept such ac-
ton while not necessarily con-
doning It.
There Is, Of course, an Ethi-
opian side to the question and
that revolves around the Greater
Somalia concept.
The Somali nation in gen.
eral and the Somali Youth
League in particular. the ma.
Jority political party. maintain
that an Somalis should be
united IN q Greater Somalia.
This Greater Somalia would in
clude French and British SOM
alilands and the Somali areas
Of Ethiopia and Kenya.
This Muslin state, Somali
leaders say. would have q pop
ulation Of 8 million ethnically,
linguistically and relieiously
similar people. The Greater
Somalia concept was q BRAIN
child Of the British Foreign
Once during the Labor gov
eminent. The change in Brit
aims government seems TO have
brought on a cooler reception
to the concept. Britain's pres
ent approach seems to be: No
automatic" independence for
British-protected Somalis in
1860. but general acceptance Of
the idea If 1t seems to be in
the best interest Of British
Somalis. France and Ethiopia
appear to be unalterably op-
posed to Greater Somalia.
Protective Imperialism
So Ethiopian aggression to-
ward Somalia, II and when 1t
comes. could be termed pro-
tective Imperialism. Ethiopia
would be attacking Somalia to
prevent the subversion Of the
Somali peoples within her own
borders. And that is one thing
that quasi-C Christian Ethiopia,
almost surrounded by Muslin
states. maintains she cannot
afford.
1t may be that the Somalis,
who have a reputation for TAX
ing realistic look at life. will
soft-pedal their dreams for a
Greater Somalia in hopes that