865D.00/38
The Vice Consul at Aden (Chiperfield) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to report certain information which I have gained from one Reverend Everett Lewis, an American missionary who recently passed through Aden en route to Egypt from Addis Ababa. He has spent most of the past ten years in Ethiopia.
Americans Now Resident in Ethiopia.
There is enclosed a list16 of all Americans now known to be resident in Ethiopia according to the statements of Mr. Lewis. It will be noted that of these 18 persons, 13 are missionaries, 4 are children, and the remaining individual is an aged American Negro.
Withdrawal of the Sudan Interior Mission.
All the members of the Sudan Interior Mission at Addis Ababa left Ethiopia late in August. The Americans leaving are listed below.
- Rev. & Mrs. Everett Earl Lewis
- Children: Alma Ruth
- Phillip Irwin
- Rev. & Mrs. Clarence W. Duff
- Child: Donald James
- Miss Ruth Bray, R. M.
- Miss Selma Bergsten
Mr. Lewis explained that his mission had decided to give up work in the country because of the difficulties encountered which so hampered [Page 722] their activities that they felt better results could be obtained by turning to another field. The Italians have in no sense “expelled” these persons, but by restriction of their activities and expropriation of their property have made their departure the only sensible move. It might be said that the restrictions of activity were not directed only against these persons, but are applied to all foreigners in Ethiopia, and in most cases against resident Italians themselves. The chief complaint in this regard is that permits are required for practically everything, from travel even outside Addis Ababa to buying certain goods, and the delay and trouble incident to obtaining these permits has caused many residents to leave the country in disgust. With regard to the expropriation of the mission property, Mr. Lewis stated that in every case a fair price was paid, and in certain instances his Mission realized a far better return on their investment than ever expected. Upon the insistence of the Mission all these moneys were paid in English pounds sterling. Admittedly there is an acute housing shortage in Ethiopia, and this action on the part of Italians was expected.
Mr. Lewis stated that he feels a certain prejudice was shown in taking over all the property of the Sudan Interior Mission rather than that of other missions, due to the fact that it is half British in its organization. Also, Dr. Lambie, American head of this mission during the Italian-Ethiopian conflict was a close friend of Haile Selassie, and extremely pro-Ethiopian.
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Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩