St. Paul recorder., 1963-10-10

trum of the League S successor
for the UN's policing work and
the dangers of raciSm.
Speaking across 81 years S,
historic failure to heed his warning
against Mussoini's invasion of
Ethiopia, the Conquering Lion of
Juda called for giving the UN still
more strength.
A-PlOwshares Asked
He asked in measured tones for
worldwide economic pressure on
Portugal and South Africa to end
Africa's greatest racial irritant
He praised the United States for
it's racial progress.
He pressed for turning A-bombs
into plowshares; not, he said, be-
cause he had any illusion that
arms control automatically means
peace, but because atomic war is
unthinlIable, the need for develop
ment funds inescapable.
Virtually no one in the Emper-
or's audience understood Amharic,
the language of his 3,OOO-year-old
dynasty. Only a few could per-
sonally remember his historic 1886
address to the League-an organ
ization that began to wither when
it failed to respond to his warn
ing
And yet the delegates listened
with a kind of quiet respect diff
ferent from the CALCULATING atten-
ton given Andrei A. Gromyko or
John F. Kennedy. History seldom
speaks twice through the person
of one man, in Amharic or any
other tongue.
To-day" the short, erect, trim
bearded Emperor told them, II
stand before the world organiza-
ton which has succeeded to the
mantle discarded by its discredited
predecessor In this body is en-
shrined the principle of collective
security which l unsucCessfully in
voked at Geneva. Here in this As
sembly, reposes the best-perhaps
the last - hope for the peaceful
survival of mankind e.
Basis For Hope
THE record of the United Ma
tons during the few short years
of its life affords mankind a solid
basis for encouragement and hope
for the future. The United Nations
has dared to act, when the League
dared not-in Asia, in SueZ, in
the Congo.
For this" the Emperor added,
all men must give thanks. AS ]
stand here today, how faint, how
remote, are the memories of 1885.
How different in 1868 are the at
titudes of men. We then existed in
an atmosphere Of suffocating pes
simism. Today, cautious yet buoy
ant optimism Is the prevailing
spirit"
Yet he saw cause for concern
over the remaining nuclear threat,
over the still unsure power of the
UN in great-power conflicts, and
closest to Bthiopia-over race.
For the United States and the
Kennedy administration he rem
dered praise:
The administration Of President
Kennedy is leading a vigorous at
tack to eradicate the remaining
westiges Of racial discrimination
from this country. We know that
this conflict will be won In this
time Of trial, these efforts should
be encouraged and assisted, and
we should lend our sympathy and
support to the American Govern
ment today"
For white regimes in Africa he
had stern words:
Until the color of a mans skin
Is Of no more significance than the
color Of his eyes until the ig-
noble and unhappy regimes that
hold our brothers in Angola, in
Mozambique, and in South Africa
in subhuman bondage have been
toppled and destroyed the AZ
Hcan continent win not know
peace"
Economic Squeeze
But he urged an economic
squeeze rather than bloodshed as
way out:
II do not believe that Portugal
and South Africa are prepared to
commit economic or physical sui
eide If honorable and reasonable
alternatives exist. I believe that
such alternatives can be found"
Most of his listeners were con-
scious of shortcomings in the En-
peror's own rule. But his voice is
nevertheless accepted as an auth
enic voice of history. Its assess
ment of the present ended with a
prayer.
where are we to look for our
survival . =? We must look, first,