384.11/199: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister Resident in Ethiopia (Engert)
356. Department’s 350, September 11, 6 p.m. The following is a paraphrase of a telegram of September 14, 1936, from the Ambassador at London:49
It is stated by the Foreign Office that inasmuch as Captain Erskine is the only white foreign official in southwestern Ethiopia he has assumed the protection of all foreigners as well as British subjects in that region in so far as possible. The Foreign Office states that in the instructions sent to him for evacuating Gore he was requested to urge upon all foreigners with whom he could communicate that it was necessary for them to leave. It was further stipulated in the authorization for him to evacuate Gore that he should do so after satisfying himself that everything possible had been done to evacuate those foreigners who were willing to leave and as regards all those who insisted on remaining that he make clear to them the danger they were incurring and that their remaining must be at their own risk. The instructions on this point in fact were so explicit that the Foreign Office does not feel it is necessary to issue additional instructions.
It was stated in the last message from Captain Erskine of September 10, 1936, to the Foreign Office that he was “holding” Ras Imru in Gore until the evacuation had been accomplished of foreigners who would leave. Captain Erskine indicated that no agreement existed among the Amharic officials at Gore and that Galla raids were a constant menace. From what I have been told of the correspondence between Captain Erskine and the Foreign Office I feel convinced that both have felt the moral responsibility of Captain Erskine for the other foreigners in his district and that everything in his power has been done to aid them and to advise those with whom he was able to get in touch.
There has been communicated to the Foreign Office the list of Americans forwarded with the Department’s instruction No. 1408 of September 3 [9].49