711.842/2
The Consul General at Addis Ababa (Wood) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 18.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department’s No. 2, dated January 3, 1914,1 regarding the negotiation of a new commercial treaty between the United States and Ethiopia.
Very soon after my arrival I approached informally the Minister of Foreign Affairs with this point in view. He hesitated for a while not knowing whether it would be advisable for the Crown Prince at the present time to negotiate any treaty, especially as the death of Menelik II had not been officially proclaimed. I called his attention to the fact that upon the death of Menelik all the rights, privileges, power and authority descended to Prince Lidj Yassou who had been proclaimed successor of Menelik II., and I also observed that Lidj Yassou was exercising all of the prerogatives of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He assented and said that if it were absolutely necessary to negotiate the treaty at once he would submit it to the Prince and his Ministers for their consideration. But he expressed the opinion that if it were not absolutely necessary that it would be better to defer the consideration of the treaty until a time when political conditions of the country were more firmly established. I could not secure an expression of opinion as to how long that would be.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My sickness which has continued incessantly for two weeks and I am still confined to my bed suffering some pain, so that it has been impossible for me to take up the negotiation of the said new treaty. But if my condition steadily improves, I expect to have the treaty signed within a month from date.
I have [etc.]
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