765.84/3009: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:05 p.m.]
645. Your 145, December 9, 6 p.m.
1. Secretary General has circulated a telegram dated December 7 which he has received from the Abyssinian Minister for Foreign Affairs quoting a declaration signed by seven doctors at the “Tafari Makonnen American Hospital” at Dessie the full text of which is understood to have been telegraphed by all American press representatives in Geneva.
2. I learn that accounts in the press that the Italian Government made a formal démarche with the Secretary General respecting their position in the bombardment of Dessie are not correct. I learn authoritatively that the circumstances are that the Italian representative here called on the Executive Secretary of the Secretary General and stated that he was not acting under instructions but merely wished to state orally his understanding through advices received from Rome that the Italian Government had not been apprised of the existence of an American hospital at Dessie and that their belief was that the [Page 901] establishment did not have the status of a Red Cross hospital inasmuch as no recognition of such by the American Government had been notified to International Red Cross. There was furthermore justification from a military standpoint for the bombardment as a general staff headquarters of the Abyssinian Army was stationed in Dessie with a large concentration of troops. The Italian representative intimated that the Italian Government might formally communicate with the Secretary General in the above sense.
3. The International Red Cross states that the Tafari Makonnen Hospital at Dessie is affiliated with the Ethiopian Red Cross and is entitled to Red Cross protection. The Committee is unaware of any American affiliation of the hospital and respecting the communication cited in paragraph 1 informs me that so far as it knows none of the declarants are American citizens.
Circumstances of the bombardment as set forth in Ethiopian Government’s communication to the League were telegraphed directly to the International Red Cross Committee by the Ethiopian Red Cross (Lambie) which formally protests against the “inhuman barbarous act” and requests that intervention be made in Rome to avoid repetition.
This communication was forwarded by the International Committee to the Italian Red Cross (Cremonesi) on December 9 with the request that the Italian Government investigate the allegations of the Ethiopian Red Cross. The communication terminates as follows:
“The Tafari Makonnen Hospital figures on the list addressed to you on November 6 of hospitals authorized to display the Red Cross. We did not know that it was an American mission hospital, but we take the liberty of reminding you that the missions at work on Ethiopian territory were mentioned in our telegram to you dated October 15 (see enclosure number 1 to Consulate’s despatch No. 1494 of November 191). Furthermore, a list such as that communicated to you is only intended for reference use when need arises and cannot include all stationary hospitals let alone field hospitals legitimately covered by the Red Cross. This emblem alone ought to be a sufficient guarantee of protection.”
4. Subsequent to the despatch of the above to the Italian Red Cross the International Committee received by mail a message from the former dated December 7 disputing the veracity of a statement in the Ethiopian Government’s communication to the League on December 6 (Consulate’s 641, December 7, 11 a.m.) to the effect that “the American hospital at Dessie authorized to bear the Red Cross was severely attacked”. The Italian Red Cross claimed that no duly recognized American hospital supported either by private initiative or by the [Page 902] American Red Cross is actually in operation in Ethiopia. It went on to refer to the lack of legal authority for use of the Red Cross by the sole American unit named in the International Red Cross telegraphic notification of October 15, that is, the “American Aid for Ethiopia” (see Consulate’s telegram No. 105 [605] of November 18, 5 p.m., paragraph 4) and suggested that this showed that hospitals were not involved in the Dessie affair. The communication closed by requesting the International Committee to furnish any additional information which it might obtain in this connection and suggested that the Committee’s own representatives in Addis Ababa verify the facts and take pains to see that the Red Cross emblem is not used in Ethiopia except in conformity with the provisions of the Geneva Convention.
The International Committee also informs me that one of its representatives in Ethiopia (Junod) who reached Dessie today has been informed by telegraph to submit a report on the occurrence. The Committee feels that the Italians will be meticulous in requiring all groups wishing Red Cross protection to comply with article 11 and other provisions of the Geneva Convention. It proposes to take no further action in the matter pending receipt of Mr. Junod’s report.
- Not printed.↩