Office of the Historian

124.84/157

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Alling)7 to the Under Secretary of State (Welles)

[Washington,] March 18, 1942.

Mr. Welles: As you will observe from the attached memoranda,8 Mr. Berle and Mr. Shaw share our view that it would be best, for the time being at least, to handle matters relating to Ethiopia through our Consulate at Asmara, which is about to be established. Within the next two or three months it should be possible for the Consul at Asmara to visit Addis Ababa, and we can then judge from his reports whether the establishment of a diplomatic mission there is necessary or desirable. Furthermore, within that same period of time personnel for the staffing of an office at Addis Ababa should become available, which is not the case at the present moment. Therefore, if you agree we shall proceed on the basis outlined herein.9

Paul H. Alling
  1. Paul H. Alling was appointed Chief of the Division March 13, 1942; Wallace Murray was appointed Adviser on Political Relations on the same date.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Marginal note: “O.K. SW”↩