711.00111 Armament Control/293
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray)
I called Mr. John H. Shaw, Honorary Ethiopian Consul General in New York City, by long distance telephone this afternoon in connection with Mr. Green’s attached memorandum of October 22, 1935,26 regarding the reported endeavors of Mr. Shaw to arrange for the shipment through Halifax of two airplanes which have been donated for use by the Ethiopian Red Cross.
I told Mr. Shaw that information had come to us that he was endeavoring to arrange the shipment of these two planes to Ethiopia in the above-mentioned manner and that I wanted to point out to him that under the provisions of the Neutrality Resolution indirect as well as direct shipments of airplanes or airplane parts were prohibited. [Page 812] I said I thought it well to bring this matter promptly to his attention in order to avoid complications that were certain to ensue if any endeavor were made to evade the provisions of the Neutrality Resolution.
Mr. Shaw thanked me for this information and told me quite frankly of the steps which he had taken in this matter. He said that he had discussed the question with Mr. Cole, the Canadian Trade Commissioner in New York, and at the latter’s suggestion had written to the Canadian authorities requesting information (1) as to whether there would be any legal objection to the shipment from Canada of the two American airplanes donated to the Ethiopian Red Cross and (2) whether under Canadian law airplanes could be purchased in that country for direct shipment to Ethiopia.
Mr. Shaw said he has been informed by the Canadian authorities, in reply to his first inquiry, that such a shipment would be regarded as a violation of the American Neutrality Resolution and that the Canadian Government could not approve such action; in reply to the second inquiry, the Canadian authorities informed Mr. Shaw that no objection could be raised to the purchase of airplanes in Canada and their shipment to Ethiopia for any purpose whatsoever.
In conclusion Mr. Shaw said he wished to assure me that he would do nothing in the performance of his duties as Ethiopian representative in this country that would cause embarrassment either to the United States or to Ethiopia. He at the same time reiterated his great disappointment over the prohibition on the export of the two planes in question. He said they were second-hand planes that could not possibly be used for combat and were sorely needed in Ethiopia at this moment to take care of the sick and the wounded.
- Not printed.↩