884.05/46

The Minister in Ethiopia (Southard) to the Secretary of State

No. 1272

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Legation’s No. 1264 of October 17, 1933, forwarding a draft of the Diplomatic Corps proposal for reorganization and reform of the Special Tribunal (Mixed Court).

As stated in our No. 1264 each local Legation sent this proposal to its Government for approval or instruction. My British colleague has obtained by telegraph his Government’s approval and comment, which he outlines in a letter of October 19, 1933, to each local Legation. A copy of the letter is herewith enclosed for the information of the Department.

Respectfully yours,

Addison E. Southard
[Enclosure—Translation]11

The British Minister in Ethiopia (Broadmead) to the American Minister (Southard)

(88/18/33)

Monsieur le Ministre: I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that I have received a telegram from my Government advising me that it approves the proposals drawn up for the reform of the Special Tribunal, including the proposal that salaries be paid in gold pounds.

At the same time the Foreign Office asks whether it would not be desirable to make provision to have the clerk of the Court take the place of a judge who for any reason must be absent from court and at the same time appoint a deputy clerk.

As for the question of the jurisdiction to which a foreign judge would be subject, the Foreign Office proposes as a possible solution that there be formed a tribunal ad hoc composed of the Ethiopian judge and of the two other foreign judges, to whom it would be well to add, for example, three consuls general, namely, of France, of Italy and of His Britannic Majesty or of the United States.

I am sending a copy of this letter to each interested Legation.

Accept [etc.]

P. M. Broadmead
  1. Original letter in French; translation has been supplied by the editors.