124.84/144: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister Resident in Ethiopia (Engert)7
32. Your 66, March 3, 10 a.m. We feel that the assignment of an officer to Djibouti would in effect contradict the reasons for withdrawal given in a statement quoted in Department’s 30, March 3, 5 p.m. Furthermore, it seems obvious that an officer at Djibouti could not accomplish any useful work with respect to Ethiopia.
We are asking the Embassy at London, unless it perceives some objection, to request the Foreign Office orally and informally to continue to furnish us as it has done during the past few months with any available information regarding welfare of American nationals in Ethiopia. We feel that this is as far as we should go.
Naturally any questions relating to American nationals or interests in Ethiopia which arise after closing of consulate will be taken up with the Italian Foreign Office by the Embassy at Rome. Press statement not being issued now.
- Quoted in telegram No. 29, March 4, 4 p.m., to the Ambassador in Italy.↩