384.11/202: Telegram
The Minister Resident in Ethiopia (Engert) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:15 p.m.]
555. I have conferred with my British colleague regarding the contents of the Department’s 350, September 11, 6 p.m. He tells me he has urged his Government to keep Erskine at Gore for at least another month or 6 weeks to permit British subjects in Jimma to reach Gore before his withdrawal provided travel in that direction is possible.
Please see my 552, and 553 September 13th.46 I am sending messages to Jimma and Soddu explaining the situation and urging Americans to leave if they do not consider the journey too hazardous. It is possible that the Americans in Jimma may decide to depart if and when the British colony leaves as together with the British Indian traders a sufficiently large armed caravan could probably be formed to offer resistance to marauding bands. It is not yet clear whether the route to Addis Ababa or to Gore is at present the less dangerous.
As regards the missionaries at Soddu and nearby districts I doubt very much whether they could travel with any degree of safety. The only two members of the Sudan Interior Mission who have so far lost [Page 284] their lives were killed while attempting to travel (see Legation’s telegram 542, September 1, 2 p.m.)49. In any event it would be physically impossible for them to reach Gore or Addis Ababa in less than 2 months from now.
Evacuation to Kenya seems out of the question. Besides, the British Consulates at Mega and Maji in southern Ethiopia were closed several months ago.