884.001 Selassie I/337: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Bingham ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 5—3 p.m.]
389. Because of reports I have heard (my 384, July 31, 1 p.m.) and especially in view of a telephone conversation with Murray, I saw Dr. Martin,69 representative of Ethiopia this morning, he having requested an appointment with me. Dr. Martin referred to the fact that the Emperor Haile Selassie had been urged to go to the United States for the purpose of raising money to enable the Ethiopians to hold on to that part of their territory still under their control. I told [Page 215] him that I thought it would be unwise to undertake such a visit at this time in view of our pending presidential election when the minds of our people generally would be fixed largely on their domestic political situation to the exclusion of probable interest in outside affairs of any kind. He accepted this statement apparently in full but then raised the question of going there himself to which I made the same answer and received the impression from him that he would not again attempt to broach the matter at least until after the election. Although Dr. Martin cannot necessarily control the situation with respect to the Emperor, I also received the impression from him that the question of a visit by Haile Selassie will probably not be raised at least for some time to come.
- Dr. W. C. Martin, Ethiopian Minister in the United Kingdom.↩