îF^ r.' 4. -**■ %JLÂ M

LCAJJE or IIA’JLQLÎS. n;2unicû ted û o Lgcil 3-ïld j-6nïb6jTS Geneva , the Le a pue a July 2 7 th , 1926

IT o te from Eis Im perial and Hoyal TsfSàri llakonnen > Il eg en t and Heir t® the Throne of Abvssinia.

Cote fry the Secretary-General »

The b6cretary-General has the honour to transmit

herewith to the Council and the States Llembers of the

Leapt!g of I ations :

(1) 1. À ITote dated June 19th, 1926 , with arme: es, from

Zis Imperial and Eoyal Highness TaïTari -îakonnen, Be gent and

Heir to the Throne of Abyssinia; 2. The te::t of the reply sent, dated July 22nd, 1926 .

Among these Annexes, the ITctes? c::chanded by the B ritish I te 3-ovc mm en t s res ;oe c t in g Lc.lt e 'nomana, n ana Rn,ï aari -sea December 14th - 20th 1925 r;ere re isto red bj "Oh 6 oecre v.riut on June 801 ju at the request Of " tv/o Governments c oncerned . - 2 -

I A P Ï À K I II A K O IT IT S IT, ESÏR HO TIE TEROTB ATD ÎBŒEET 0? THE IÏ.IHEB 0?

A. SYS SUT IA , TO THB EOITOüRABIE SIR ERIC UBXJI.I I0ITD , SECJEETARY-CELER AL OF TES LCAX'S 0? EàTIOES .

PIACS B3 m TE YOL =

I have the h en out to forward herewith copies of the correspondence communicated to us "by the British and

Italian Governments, constituting an agreement concluded between them without our knowledge in regard to th e ir

interests in Abyssinia, and copies of our replies. I

also enclose1- the protest which we are addressing tc the

States llembers of the league of ITations, making 3mown

that we cannot accept this agreement.

I "beg th at you w ill "be good enough to communicaté

these documents to the States LI embers in order that the

question may be considered.

Given in the city of Addis Ababa on the twelfth day

of Senié in the year of 1918 (June 19th, 1926).

(Seal and signature )

TAFTARI : MZOEETT , Eeir to the Throne of Abyssinia. - 3 -

TO THE S2A.TES IIH.EBEES OF THE IEAGUE OF 1TATIOIJS.

Our Government has recen tly received from the

British and Italian Governments identical ITotes informing us that these Governments have arrived at an agreement to support each other with a view to obtaining a concession for the B ritish Government to undertake the conservancy of the waters of our lake Tsana, and fo r the I ta lia n Government to construct a railway through our Empire.

VJe have "been profoundly moved "by the conclusion of this agreement arrived at without our being consulted or informed, and "by the action of the two Governments in sending us a joint notification,

In the first place, on our admission to the League of Bâtions we were tolà that all nations were to be on a footing of equality within the League, and that their independence was to be universally respected, since the purpose of the League is to e sta b lish and maintain peace among men in accordance with the will of God. \fe were not told that certain llembers of the league might make a separate agreement to impose their views on another llember even if the latter considered those views incompatible with its national interests. Secondly, one of the subjects covered by the agreement had already been discussed between the British

Government and our own, and th at no conclusion had yet been

reached was due to reasons of whose nature and importance

we were fully aware; we had however never given any definite

reply. - 4 -

./e cannot help thinking, therefore, that in

agreeing to support each other in these matters, and in

giving us a joint notification of that agreement, the two

Governments are endeavorring to eice-rt pressure on us in

order to induce us to comply with their demands prematurely, without leaving ânytime for reflection or consideration for our pe ople 1 s needs «,

Th6 people of Abyssinia are annicus to do ri^ht, and we have every intent! m of gu id inn them along the path of improvement and progress; but th r - ughcu t their history they have seldom, met with foreigners who did not desire to possess themselves of Abyssinian territory and to destroy

their independence. V/ith C-pd's help, and thanks to the courage of orr soldiers, we have always, come what might, stood proud and free upon cur native mountains. For this reason prudence is needed when we have to convince err people that foreigners who wish to establish themselves for economic reasons in cur country, or on the frontiers between it and their possessions, arc genuinely innocent of concealed political aims; and we doubt whether agreements and jvint representations such as those now in question are the best means of instilling that conviction.

!T0r must it be forgotten that we have only recently been introduced to modern civilisation, and that our history,

glorious though it be , has not prepared us for ready adjust­

ment to conditions which are often rvite beyond the range of

our experience. ITature h e rs e lf has never gone forward by

sudden bounds, and no country has been metamorphosed in a night.

;/ith our well-known eagerness for progress - given

txI me and the friendI t advice ox countries whose geographical - 5 -

position has en ah lcd the a to out-distance us in the race - no shall he ahle to secure gradual but continual improvements v:hich rri.ll maize Abyssinia groat in the future as she has been

throughout the past. But, if we try to go too fast, accidents may happen.

V/g should like to hear from the ;'embers of the league whether they think it right that means of pressure

should be everted upon us which they themselves would doubt­

less never accept=

Vie have the honour to bring to the notice of all the States llembers of the Lear*uc of lia tions the correspondence which wg have received, in order that they may decide whether that corrcspondencc is compatible with the independence of our country, inasmuch as it includes the stipulation that part

of our Umpire is to be a llo tte d to the economic influence of a given Power. '.7C cannot but realise that economic influence and political influence are very closel^ bound up together; and it is our duty to protest most strongly against an agree­ ment which, in our view, conflicts with the essential principles of the League of 2 atio n s.

Addis Ababa, this twelfth day of Sonic in the year of grace 1918 fjune 19th, 1926).

(Signed ) 2UTFARI 1AED11IIBIT, Heir to the Throne of Abyssinia. B ritish Legetion,

jidâis Abubu,

9th June ^ 1926,

To His Im perial Highness T&ffari Makonnen,

Heir apparent to the Throne of Ethiopia,

Prom Mr. Charles Bentinok,

Mis * s Minister Plenipotentiary.

Your Imperial Highness: -

In obedienoe to the in stru ctio n s whioh I huve received from His MajestyTs Secretary of Stato for Foreign affairs, I have the honour to hand to Your Imperial Highness the text of the note whioh Hia Majesty1 s Government addressed le st

Beoember to the Ita lia n Government asking fo r th e ir co-operation in the negotiations w ith the Ethiopiem Government regarding

Lake Tsana when His Majesty1 s Goverment deoido to reopen then, a tra n sla tio n of the note in .amhario is attached.

In aooordence with Article 18 of the Covenant of the

League of Mations the notes exchanged "between His Majesty1 s

Government and the I ta lia n Goverment w ill "be laid "before the

Secretariat of the League, "but for reasons of friendship and oourtesy the two Governments desire that these notes should first be shown to the Ethiopian Government.

In o omcaunioLt ing to your Imperial Highness the text of the

British note, I am to express the hope that the .abyssinian Govern ment will find tho notes aoaeptable to them and I am authorized to offer to you f u l l and frank explanation if you should be in doubt as to the meaning of any points in the British note when

I return from England. In the meantime I trust thut Your Imperia

Highness will oonsider the notes sympathotioally. - 7—

Sir Auston Chamberlain directs me to add that he hopes that the text of the enclosed note will "be sufficient to dispel any misconceptions or malicious rumours which may "be current regarding the alleged intentions of His Majesty1s Government. further Sir nusten Chamberlain directs me to assure Your Imperial

Highness of the continued friendship of His Majesty1 s Government und to express the hope that the Ethiopian Goverment will find in this exchange of notes only farther proof of that friendship, inasmuch as the object which the exchange has in view will, it is hoped, prove to he as beneficial to Abyssinia as to the other countries concerned*

(Signed) C. BBKTIECK

His Majesty’s Minister. LM-ZEB F20LÎ SIR R. GEMEAU TO SIGMH LUSSOLIH.

i.C' L'J. tiecember 2.4th 1925,

'il, Xe President du*-Gonseil? Your is well aware of the vital importance to

Egypt and the Sudan of maintaining and, if possible, increasing

the volume of water for irrigation purposes available in those

countries from the Blue and ïïhite Niles and their tributary

streams, Various schemes for the purpose have been c arried out

cr are projected and you arc informed of the negotiations

undertaken at Addis-Ababa by Eis IJajesty’s Government, acting

in a fiduciary capacity for the Sudan Goverment and mindful of

Egyptian interests in the matter, in order to obtain a concession

from the Government of Abyssinia for the construction of a barrage a t lake 5sans with a view to sto rin g i ts waters for use in

toe Ely e Nile, So far these negotiations have led to no

practical result =

In November 1919 the delegates of the Ita lia n Government

then in London were good enough to offer Italian cooperation in

this ; jos tion in the following terms :

lo "In view of the predominating interests of

Great Britain in respect of the control of the waters

of Lake Tsana, Italy offers Great Britain her support,

in order that she may obtain from Ethiopia the

concession to carry out works of barrage in the Lake

itself, within the Italian sphere of influence, pending

the delimitation of the extent of the territorial zone

to be recognised as poite.ining to Great Britain in

respect of the latterT s predominant hydraulic interests,

and pending a jus t consideration of the reservation on "behalf of Italy by the T rip a rtite Agreement likexn se in respect of her hydraulic interests. Italy further offers her suoport to Or eat Britain in order that the latter may obtain fron Ethiopia the right to construct and maintain a actor road "between Lake Tsana and the Sudan.,

2. Italy requests the support of Great Britain in order that she nay obtain frou the Ethiopian Goverment the concession to construct and to run a railway from the frontier of Eritrea to the frontier of Italian

Somaliland; which railway according to the Tripartite

Agreement must pass to the /eat of nddis-Ab&ba, I t is understood that this railway, together with all the necessary works for its construction and for its ruining, must have an entirely free passage £ cross the motor road,

3. Italy requests from Grea t Britain, as she also reserves to herself the right to request from France, an exclusive economic influence in the tost of Ethiopia and in the whole of the territory to "bo crossed by the above-mentioned railway, and the promise to support with the Ethiopian Goverment all the requests for economic concessions regarding the

Italian zone".

4. The above offer /. s not ectert: ined at the time chiefly owing to the .-strong objection folt to the idea of allowing a foreign Power to establish any sort of of control over the headwaters of rivers so vital to the prosperity and evon the existence of Egypt and the Sudun,

Sut in view of the relations of mutual confidenco so happily existing between our two Governments, «•' 10 •-

His Ea jestyTs Govor ment desire to extend to this

question the principle of friendly cooperation which he. 3 prove i so valuable in otner, fields » His Britannic

.■majesty’s Government have accordingly further

examined the question and recognise that the Italian

proposai is not in contradiction with the stipulations

of the London Agreement of the 15th Deoezpbar, 1905,

since the object of that agreement is to maintain the

status quo in Ethiopia on the basis of the international

instruments indicated in article L thereof and the co­

ordination of the action of tho signatory States to

protect their respective interests so that they should

not suffer prejudice, They would therefore welcome the

Italien support offered provided that it can be

accepted without prejudice to those paramount hydraulic

interests of Egypt and the Sudan which the Italian

Government have not fa ile d to recognise.

5, I have therefore the honour, under instructions

frcu Hi s.ma jesty 1 s Principal Secretary of State for

Foreign Affairs, to request your ExcellencyT s support

and assistance at Addis Ababa with the Abyssinian

Government in order to obtain from them a concession for

Hia AajestyTs Goverment to construct a barrage at Lake

Tsana, together with the right to construct and maintain a motor road for the passage of stores,

personnel,etc., fram the frontier of the Sudan tc the b a r r a g e .

6- His lua jes ty Ts Goverment in return are prepared

to support the Italian Goverment in obtaining frcm the

Abyssinian Goverment a concession no construct and run a railway from the frontier of Eritrea to the frontier of Italian Somaliland, It would be understood that

this railway, together with all the necessary works for its construction une? for its running, would hi. ve entirely free puss ape across the motor road mentioned above,

7. / i t h this object in view, the necessary identic instructions should be sent to the British and Italian representatives in Ethiopia to concert for common action with the Abyssinian Gover mient in order to obtain that the concessions desired by the Governments of

Great Britain end Italy regarding Lake Is ana and the construction of a rail’ray to join up 3ritrea with Italian

Somaliland should be granted contemporaneously. It remains understood that, in the event of one of the two

Governments securing the concession sought for while the other Government fa ile d to do so, the Government which has

obtained satisfaction would not relax their whole­ hearted efforts to secure a corresponding satisfaction for

the other Goverment concerned,

o. In the event of His —aje s ty 1 s Government, w ith the valued assistance of the Italia n Goverment, obtaining

from the Abyssinian Government the desired concession

on Lake Tsana, they are also ere pared to recognise an exclusive Italian économie influence in the '/est of

Abyssinia and in the whole of the territory to be crossed by the above-mentioned railway. They would further promise to support with the Abyssinian Government all

Italian requests for economic concessions in the above zone. But such recognition and undertaking are subject to the proviso that the Italian Government on their side recognising tho prior hydraulic rights of Egypt and the Sudan, w ill engage not do construct on the head voters of the Blue or >Vhile Hi lea or their tributaries or effluents any work which might sensibly modify their flux into the main river. It is understood that the above proviso would not preclude a reasonable use of the waters in question by the inhabitants of the region, even to the extent of constructing dams for hydro-electric power or small reservoirs in minor affluents to store water for domestic purposes, as well as for the cultivation of the food crôps necessary to their own subsistence,

9„ His m ajesty’s Government av ail themselves of th ia opportunity to assure the Ita lia n Government th a t the construction and operation of the dam will be effected so far E:s possible with locally recruited labour and will not raise the level of the waters in the lake beyond the maximum hitherto attained during the rainy season» They are therefore confident that the existence of the dam will not only be of value to Egypt and the Sudan but will increase the prosperity and promote the eoonamic progress of the local inhabitants.

(Signed) 3. GRAHAM - 13 -

Taflàri Makonnen, Heir to the Throne of Abyssinia,

to His Excellency Mr. Charles Bentinck, British Minister.

PEACE BE w m YOU.

I Y±afe the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note dated 2nd day of Sanie 1910 ( June 9th, 1926).

This communication, which is indentical with the note I have received from His Excellency Count Colli, the

Italian Minister, informs me of the agreement concluded between your respective Governments with a view to obtain­ ing from the Abyssinian Government a concession for the conservancy of the waters otf our Lake Tsana for England and a concessien for the construction of a railway through

Abyssinia for Italy. The fact .that you have coije to an agreement, and the fact th a t you have? thought i t necessary to give us a joint notification of that agreement, make it clear that your intention is to exert pressure, and this , in our view, at once raises a previous question.

The British Government had already entered into negotiations with the Abyssinian Government in regard to its proposal, and wo had imagined that, whether that pro­ posal was carried into effect or not, the negotiations would have been concluded with us; we should never have suspected that the British Government would come ti an agreement with another GeKrarnmHSt regarding the lak e .....

This quo a ti ore,, which calls for preliminary examination,

'.us t therefore be laid before the League of Nat ions.

Given on the 8th day of Scjnie, in the year of Grace

191S (June 15th, 1926). ( S c al e d : )

TBffari Makonnen, Heir of the Throne of ABYSSINIA. - 14 -

LETTER FRCM: Count C olli de F e lisza n o , Minister Plenipotentiary of Italy. TO: His Highness Tafferi Makonnen, Heir to the Throne of Abyssinia.-,

Addis Ababa, June 9th, 192ca

S ir, I have the honour to send you an- exact copy of the note addressed by His Excellancy B„ Mussolini, Prime

Minister of Italy, to Sir H„ Graham, Eis Britanic Majesty^

Ambassador in Rome , on December 20th, 1925, in reply to a note addressed by the British Ambassador to M« Mussolini on December 14th 19 250

As your Highness will observe, the two notes in question constitute an agreement between the Italian and

British Governments defining the respective aspirations and the mutual obligations of the two Governments in

Abyssinia, and establishing friendly co-operation between them with a view to the attainment of their aims.

On behalf of my Government I have the honour to in­ form Your Highness that the agreement feferred to is of a purely economic character, and, sc far from being designed to infringe (injure ) the sovereign iights of the Ahyssinian

Government, con stitu tes a fu rth er proof of the frien d ly in­ tentions of Italy and Great Britain towards the Abyssinian

Empire, which remains e n tire ly fre e to grant or refuse any raquests in connection with economic questions which either of the t;o Governments may make *

I shall havo the greatest pleasure in furnishing Your

Highness with any p a rticu la rs fo r which you may ask in regard

to the agreement,, I have no dcubt that, after due consideration, Your

Highness,will receive in a friendly manner, and without sus­

picion, the communication which I have the honour to make on

"behalf of my Government. Signed : COLLI ^ *1T"5 i 3 P *** 0 - 15 -

LETTER FROL!; Signor M ussolini.

TO: Sir R. G-rahan,

(Translation). Ministry lor Foreign Affairs,

Romo, December 20, 1925t

M » 1T Ambas sad o ur ,

I have the honour to acknowledge the reoeipt of the note of the 14th December, in which your Excellencyt on instructions from your Government, drew my attention to the problem of the irrigation of Egypt and the Sudan and to the negotiations hitherto conducted without result by the

British Government to obtain from the Abyssinian Government the concession for the construction of a barrage at Lake

Tsana, with the object of storing the waters of the lake to feed the Blue lïile.

Your Excellency recalls in this connection the proposals which were presented in London in November 1919 by the delegates of the Italian Government for an amicable

Anglo-Italian co-operation in this question, and you inform me that thuse proposals were not then accepted owing to the objection which was felt to the idea of allowing a foreign

Power to establish any kind of control over the sources of rivurs so vital to the prosperity and even the existence of

Egypt and the Sudan. But that now, in view of the relations

°f reciprocal confidence so happily existing between ouz two

Governments, L is B ritannic Majesty Ts Government desire to extend to th is question the p rincip le of friendly co-operation which has proved so valuable in other fields.

Your Excellency adds that His Britannic Ma jestyTs

"OVurnment has accordingly proceeded, to a more careful - 16 - t-anination of the question, and recognises that the Italian

reposais are not in contradiction with the provisions of the

Ueenent of London of the 13th December, 1905, since the

■eject of that agreement is the maintenance of the status quo

I Ethiopia on the basis of the international instruments iijicated in a rtic le 1 of the agreement i t s e l f , and the co- oidination of the action of the signatory States in the lotection of their respective interests so that these should not suffer prejudice „

The British Government consequently adhering to the

Italian proposals, would we 1 cone the support of Italy , provided that it can be accepted without prejudice to those paramount fc/craulio interests of *jgypt and the Sudan which the Italian

Government themselves have re cognised» Your Lxcellency, therefore, on instructions from, your bveiment, requests the support and assistance of the I ta lia n

Government with the Ethiopian Government in order to obtain from the latter the concession to construct a barrage on Lake Tsana,

■ether with the right to construct ana maintain a motor road

(toi. the passage oi stores, personnel, etc, , from the frontier

■the Sudan to the barrage,

Your excellency declares to me that His Eritannic

■ ^ t y ' s Government 'i l l .in return support the Ita lia n Government pertaining from the Abyssinian Government the concessi:r to

■tTuct and operate a railway from the frontier of Züntrea

fine irontier of Italian Somali land, it being understood that

ï ail’.?ay, together with all the: necessary works for its pwtruction and operation, shall have free transit across the

‘fr roac* mentioned above . With this object, your excellency adds, the necessary

^■•dentio instructions should be sent to the Lritish and

representatives in ethiopia to concert for common action - 17 -

'lit,h the Abyss in i an Government, in order to obtain that the

concessions desired by the British ana Italian Governments

regarding lake Tsana and the construction of a railway to

I connect Hritrea with Italian Somaliland should be granted

contemporaneously. I t remains understood th a t , in the event

of one ol the two Governments securing the concession sought

ior while the other Government Sal led to do so, the Government

T.hich had obtained satisfaction would net re lax their best

endeavours to secure a corresponding satisfaction for the other

Government concerned e

Your Excellency then states that, in the event of"

His Majesty's Government, with the effective support of the

Italian Government, obtaining from the Abyssinian Government

Ihe concession asked for at Lake Tsana, the B ritish Government

| Dill also recognise the exclusive character of Italian economic

influence in the west of Abyssinia end in the whole of the

Bl.rritory 01 ossed by the above-mentioned railway. The British

[ Government will further support with the Ethiopian Government

all Italian requests for economic concessions in the above-

antioned zone. Such recognition and undertaking are,

^Bwuver, subject to the proviso that the Italian Government, on

. tl:ir side, recognising the prior hydraulic rights of Egypt and

■* e ouuan, win engage not to construct on the head waters of the

^Kue iJile ana the •■'hi to Hi le and their tr ibutax ie a and a fflu e n ts

■■•ork which might sensibly modify their flow into the main river.

Your Excellency finally states that it remains under­

stood that the above proviso would net preclude a reasonable use

KB toe waters in question by the inhabitants of the region, even

the extent of constructing dans for hyaro-eleotric power or

^B“ll reservoirs in minor affluents for storing water xor BB - 10 “

ôcrnostic purposes, as well as for the cultivation of the

Iqoq products necessary lor their own subsistence =,

Your Excellency further assures the Italian

Government, on instructions from 2 our Government, t h a t the

construction and operation of the cam will be effected, ao

far as possible, with l o c a l l y recruited labour, and that the

level of the waters of the laze will n o t be raised beyond the aazimum limit hitherto attained during the rainy season.

The B ritish Government are therefore confident that the ndstence of the dam will not only be of value to Egypt and the Sudan but w ill increase the prosperity and promote the economic progress of the local populations.

In reply to the above-mentioned declarations and requests of your Excellency, I have the honour to state on my part th at the Royal Government have taken note that the

British Government recognise the d e sira b ility of extending to the question referred to the principle of friendly collaboration

'which has proved so valuable in other fields; this has been noted with all the more satisfaction, inasmuch as it is my conviction that such co-operation will be the more useful the further it is extended.

The -oyal Government have lu rth e r taken note that His

Iritannic ...a jo sty 1 s Government are nor persuaded that the Italian

.reposals presented in koveneer ISIS are not in contradiction v/ith the provisions of the Agreement of London of the 13th jocomber, 1906, since the object of that agreement (as Ita ly has always maintained) is the maintenance of the status quo in

Ethiopia on the basis of the international agreements indicated in article 1 of the agreement itself and the co-ordination of the action 01 the signatory States in the protection of their respective interests so that these should not suxfer prejudice. - 19 -

This being granted, although the above-mentioned

proposals presented in London in Jovembor 1919 formed part of a

widei negotiation of a colonial character arising out of the

Treaty of London of 1915, a negotiation which had only p a rtia l

resu lts, the Royal Government nevertheless agree to take up again

the proposals in question, especially sharing the desire of the

British Government to realise the principle of friendly co­

operation, and further trusting that this principle may bo

continually further extended for the protection and development of tho respective Italian and British interests in Lthiopia, naturally on the bases and "'"ithin tho limits oi the provisions of the London Agreement of 1906«

1 have, therefore, the honour to state to your

Excellency that the Royal Government will support the British

Government with the Ethiopian Government, in order to obtain from the latter the concession to construct a barrage at Lake

Tsana, together with the right to construct and maintain a motor road for the passage of stores, personnel, etc., from the frontier oi the Sudan to the barrage.

The Royal Government take note, on the other hand, that the British Government will, in return, support tho Italian

Government in obtaining from the Abyssinian Government the concession to construct and operate a railway from the frontier

9-i' Lritzea to the frontier of Italian Somaliland, it remaining understood that this railway, together "ith all the necessary works for its construction and operation, shall have free transit

'Scroas tho motor road mentioned above.

With this object, the Italian Government will send the

necessary instructions to the Italian representative in Addis

Kb aba in an idcntic sense to those which the B ritis h Government

will send to their own representative, to concert a common line

of action with the Abyssinian Government in order to obtain that - 20 tbo concessions askod for by the British and ;alian Government s rcgarding Lake Tsana and tho railway connecting E ritre a oaaliland should, bo granted ccntomporancously« I t remains understood th a t , in the ovt.nt of one of the two Governments scouring the concession sought by thorn, while the other failed

|to do so, the Government which had obtained s a tis fa c tio n would

5ot relax their most effective efforts to secure a corresponding satisfaction for the other Government concerned, with the t»b jest hf ensuring that practical execution of the two concessions

iculd, if possible, be contemporaneous,

Tho Royal Government take note that in the event of

is Britannic La je sty1 s Government, with the effective support

i the Italian Government, obtaining from the Abyssinian

cvcrament the concession asked for on Lake Tsana, they will

.cognise the exclusive character of Italian economic influence n the west of Abyssinia ond in the whole of the territory to

ciossed by the above-mentioned railway, and will also support

-ith the E thiopian Government a ll I ta lia n requests for economic cnccssions in the above sone.

On their side the Italian Government, recognising the

lior hy.lraulic rights of Egypt and the Sudan, engage not to instruct on the head waters of the Blue Hilo and the While Hi le nd their tributaries and affluents any work which might sensibly

OS if y their flow into the main river.

I note that His B ritannic ha je st y 13 Government have

wry intention of respecting the existing water rights of the cpulations of the neighbouring territories which enter into tho

Phcie of exclusive Italian economic influence. It is under-

tood that, in so far as is poss'Ale ana is compatible with the

aianount interests of Egypt and the Sudan, the s chôme in con­

flation should be so framed and executed as to afford appropriate

atisfaction to the economic need of these populations.

MuSSOLIHI, - 21 -

Tafèiri Makonnen, Heir to tho Thro no of Abyssinia,

to Eis Excellency Count Colli, Italian Minister.

PEACE BE WITH YCU,

I have tho honour to acknowledge receipt of your noto dated the 2nd day of Sonic, 1918 (June 9th, 1926).

This communication, which is identical with tho note I have receive I from His Excellancy Mr. Charles

Bon tirade, British Minister, informa me of the agre m a n t concluded he two on your respective Governments with a view to obtaining from the Abyssinian Government a concession for tho conservancy of tho waters of cur Lake Tsana for

Engalnd and a concession for the cons true ; ion of a railway through Abyssinia Jor Ita ly . Tho fa c t th a t you have come

to an agreement, and the fact that you have thought it nocossary to give us a joint notification of that agreement, make it clear that your intention is to exert pressure , and this, in our view, at once raises a previous question.

This question, which calls for preliminary examination, ir.ust therefore be laid before the league of Nations.

Given on the 8th day of SeniS, in the year of Grace

1918 fJune 15th, 1926Î, (Sealed: 1 T affari Makonnon, H eir to the Throne of Abyssinia. - 22 -

Reply from the Secrotary-General of the League of Bâtions to

His Imperial and , the Ras Taffari Makonnen.

Regent and Heir to the Throne of Ethiopia. i+ddis .Ababa.

GENEVA ,

July 22nd, 1926 .

Sir,

In a lo tte r dated the 12th day of Senio. 19 IP (June

19th, 1926, ) Your Imperial and Royal Highness was good

enough to send me a Note accompanied by copies of the

correspondence, together with translations into French,

"between the Im perial and Royal Government of Abyssinia and

the Governments of the British Empire and Italy, with

reference to an agreement stated to have "boon concluded

recently between the two latter Powers.

Inasmuch as the object of Your Imperial and Royal

HigIinessTs letter was to bring the contents of these

various documents to the knowledge of the States Members of

the League of Nations, I have made a ll necessary arrangements

to do so.

I have also forwarded your letter in a special despatch

to the British and Italian Governments, as thoso directly

concerned. Should they think it desirable to send me any

observations on your letter, 1 shall in the same manner

transmit them to Your Imperial and Royal Highness.

You fu rth e r added in your l e tte r that you hoped th at

the communication of these documents to the States Members

of the League of Nations would enable the question at issue

to be considered. As, however, Your Imperial and Royal Highnes

omitied to indicate in what form and by what procedure you

/ would wish ~ 25 -

this consideration to bo conducted, X ht-vo tho honour to

request that you will bo so good as to inform mo whether your request is to bo interpreted us an application for tha inclusion of the question in tho Agenda of an early session of tho Council of the League of Hâtions. Should you desire the question to bo placed on the agenda of the next session of the Council, which opens at Genova on

September 2nd, 1926, I would cu 11 your attention to the desirability of furnishing me by telegram with all further particulars that may be of assistance in this matter.

(Signed) KIÏOBE.

Secretary-General ad interim.