On January 3, 1949, the Ethiopian Ambassador forwarded to General Eisenhower the certificate that accompanied the award (Figure 9) and noted in his covering letter that the certificate was signed by His Majesty, the Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia testifying that, the “Order of Solomon” has been conferred by the Ethiopian Government on 10th September, 1948, upon your Excellency in recognition of your able leadership as commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces in World War II. The certificate states (in English): The Lion of Judah has prevailed Haile Selassie I Figure 6: The obverse of General Elect of God, King of Kings of Ethiopia Eisenhower’s breast star (95.3mm x 95.3mm; weight 127gms). The Second World War ending in Courtesy of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Victory finds the famous war leader’s work finished Presidential Library and Museum. Through a display of practicality, great courage, Ingeniousness, collaboration and understanding. To General Dwight Eisenhower, United States Commanding General, Grand Cordon of the Order of Solomon, We grant with great pleasure the award. Given at the Royal Palace, Addis Ababa 10th September, 1947 Official Minister” The final letter in the correspondence concerning this award to General Eisenhower is dated December 12, 1950 - a letter from General Eisenhower’s representives to the Ethiopian Consulate in New York stated “he does not have in his possession a ribbon representing the decoration. Can one be obtained?” Figure 7: The reverse of the breast star in Detailed regulations for the Order of Solomon for the Figure 4. period are not available, but on April 20, 1954, a decree concerning insignia regulations was issued. Extracts from the regulations for the Order of Solomon note that the order is made up of a Collar and five additional classes. The Collar - It is the highest distinction and is reserved to the Emperor and the Empress of Ethiopia, except that as a mark of special regard on the part of the Emperor it may be conferred upon members of the Imperial Family and upon sovereigns of foreign countries; and further upon persons who have rendered exceptionally meritorious services. Grand Cordon - The Cordon of the Order of Solomon Figure 8: Presentation case maker’s mark. may be conferred upon Sovereigns, members of Courtesy of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Royal Houses, and upon persons who have rendered Presidential Library and Museum. meritorious services. The Cordon has a green ribbon. 8 JOMSA Figure 9: The certificate of Order of Solomon presented to General Eisenhower. Courtesy of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. Attached to the border of the ribbon and suspended eight facets of the circumference are forty-eight points there from is a badge, 55mm in diameter, made with spreading out like rays. The Plaque is worn on the left six points in the shape of the seal of Solomon. In the breast. The number of members of this Class shall not centre is the device of the Cross, and at the top of the exceed ten. Cross the device of a Crown. The Plaque is in the shape of a regular octagon, ninety millimeters in diameter. Grand Officer - The number of members of this Class Upon the octagon is the device of a Cross. Upon the shall not exceed twenty. Vol. 65, No. 2 (March-April 2014) 9 Commander - The numbers of members of this Class to 1942 and the exile in Great Britain of Emperor shall not exceed twenty-five. Haile Selassie led to a suspension in the bestowal of decorations. The liberation of Ethiopia by allied forces Officer - The numbers of members of this Class shall culminated in the surrender of Italian forces in January not exceed thirty-five. 1942, and Haile Selassie was restored to the throne. A Chevalier - The numbers of members of this Class Supplement to the London Gazette of May 27, 1949 shall not exceed forty-five. noted the award of many Ethiopian decorations to British Forces in acknowledgement of their role in the The history of the order dates back to Emperor liberation of Ethiopia. Tewodros (Theodore) who in 1868 proposed the institution of such an order in three classes, however his defeat by the British and his suicide at the Battle of Magdala forestalled this initiative. During the reign of the subsequent Emperor, Johannes IV (John) (1872- 1889), the award was instituted and a badge of the order was presented in 1874 to Edward, Prince of Wales, later Edward VII of Great Britain. With the accession of Emperor Menelik II in 1889, who previously as King of Shoa had already instituted the Order of the Star, the Order of Solomon continued to be awarded. In 1895 Menelik sent the Order of Solomon with a mission to be presented to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and in 1897 he bestowed the Order upon his Swiss political adviser Alfred Ilg. A 4th class insigina of the order was awarded to Jemadar (Indian army rank corresponding to Lieutenant) Mahmoud Khan of Aden Troop of the 1897 British Military Mission; the senior members of the mission all received the Order of the Star. Later in his reign, Figure 10: Field-Marshal Montgomery; the (which was marred by illness and incapacitation), ribbon ot the Order of Solomon is the last ribbon. awards of both orders were sparse. One of Menelik’s last bestowals of the Order of Solomon was to his Greek In addition to the award to General Eisenhower, Haile court artist, George Prokopiou, who received the order Selassie also bestowed the Order on British Field- in 1905. The accession in 1916 of his daughter Empress Marshal Montgomery (Figure 10). His award in its Zawditu (Judith), who reigned from 1916 to 1930, and presentation case (Figure 11) is on display, on loan from her consort and second cousin Ras Tafarai Makonnen, the family with his other awards, at the Imperial War Regent, (later Haile Selassie) allowed a revival of both Museum in London. The museum, with the permission the Order of the Star and the Order of Solomon. Emperor of the family, kindly allowed me to examine and take Haile Selassie in his autobiography notes, pictures of his Order of Solomon (Figures 12 to 15). Unfortunately there is no documentation available Up to 1915 (Ethiopian calendar corresponding to 1922) the Star of Solomon and of Ethiopia were the only two concerning the bestowal of the Order; however official kinds of medals. But now We caused a gold chain to be notice of the award was made in the Third Supplement made for the Solomon order and it was to be awarded to the London Gazette of Tuesday, March 22, 1949, page to foreign kings who had the rank corresponding to 1529, where it was noted: that of Emperor. The KING has been pleased to grant unrestricted With this revision and the institution of the orders of permission for the wearing of the following decorations the Queen of Sheba, Menelik II, and the Holy Trinity, which have been conferred on the under mentioned the Order of the Star Solomon became the senior order personnel in recognition of distinguished services in the cause of the Allies: of state. In 1935 the Order of Solomon, with collar, was presented to King George V. The invasion and Decoration conferred by His Majesty the Emperor of subsequent occupation of Ethiopia by Italy from 1936 10 JOMSA.