884.001 Selassie I/372
The Minister-Counselor of Embassy in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray)
Dear Wallace: I note from your letter of March 25th7 that Mr. Eden’s statement in the House of Commons on February 4th seemed to you to present a marked contrast to the previous policy of the British Government as reported in our despatch No. 6641 of January 25th.7 I think the only contrast is that between a public statement in Parliament and a confidential statement by a responsible Foreign Office official. That official stated, as reported in my despatch under reference, that the Emperor’s mission was considered an experiment but one which exceeded expectations. As reported in my despatch No. 498 of today’s date, the Foreign Office still considers the Emperor’s restoration in the nature of an experiment. It desires to use the Emperor as an instrument of authority in a part of Ethiopia and has accordingly given his government a measure of recognition but is making clear to the Emperor that he must act only by and with British consent. The British Government is far from being prepared to admit the Emperor’s government to the status of an ally or to state when it might again recognize Ethiopia as a fully independent state.
In view of the popular interest in the Emperor on the part of a “vocal minority” in England, public statements on this question are naturally somewhat guarded.
Sincerely yours,