-Caveat Lector- an excerpt from: Revelations of an International Spy I. T. T. Lincoln Robert M. McBride & Company©1916 New York --[5]-- CHAPTER V AN ABYSSINIAN INTRIGUE BEFORE, however, pursuing the intrigues of the Triple Entente, I must deal with an international matter which took place between 1903-06 and which is but additional proof of the brutal selfishness and unscrupulous plottings of Downing Street. I have related in the previous chapter that I made the acquaintance of a Herr Rosenkranz in Copenhagen during 1906, and that in September I again met him in Berlin, where I was spending ten days. Both of us are partizans of a glass of genuine Rhine or Moselle and as we sat in the Garden of the Kaiser-Keller in Friedrichstrasse, discussing past adventures in international 'politics, Rosenkranz related to me the story of the Abyssinian intrigue, without disclosing his part in ferreting out the facts. I was very much interested in his narrative and even more in the documents he showed me next day. He was good enough to make me a present of some of them, which I am keeping among my collection of interesting curios of diplomatic espionage. He was also good enough to give me some unique photographs he had taken himself of the Emperor Menelik in his full "canonicals" and also of M. Ilg his "Chamberlain," the members of the Austrian Commercial Embassy and the cuirassiers of the German Expedition. Abyssinia, a country of great natural wealth and of strategical importance, drew early the attention of some of the European Powers. In 1805, Great Britain sent a mission under Lord Valentia, to Abyssinia to conclude an alliance with Abyssinia and to obtain a port on the Red Sea, in case France should secure Egypt by dividing up the Turkish Empire with Russia. During 1838 and 1848, Northern Abyssinia was divided into two camps; the one, Amhara and Ras Ali, under Protestant British; the other, Tigre and Ulre, under Roman Catholic French influence. The latent hostility between the two factions threatened to develop into a religious war. In April 13, 1868, Negus Theodore died; he was mysteriously killed,'[1][ 1. Downing Street can explain how and why.] and Menelik gained in power, defeating Ras Bareya of Tigre, the Ras of Amhara, and Tekla Giorgis, with help of British rifles and guns presented to him by the British Government. In 1870 an Italian company bought of the local Sultan Assab a port near the southern entrance of the Red Sea and, after adding to it more land by purchase, it was bought out by the Italian Government in 1882. Soon afterwards Count Pietro Antonelli was sent to Shoa to improve by treaties with Menelik and the Sultan of Aussa the prospects of an Italian colony. In January, 1885, Italians occupied Beilul, a port in the north of Assab Bay; some time later they took Massowa, an Egyptian port. This was strongly resented by Abyssinia, as they had treaties with Britain and Egypt for free transit of goods through this port. Up to 1887, Italy was systematically occupying the country round their ports and placing a large number of troops. In January of this year the Italian General Gene refused to withdraw his troops, after which refusal the Abyssinians attacked a detachment of 500 Italians, killing nearly 400 at Dozali. Great Britain sent a mission under Sir Gerald Portal to try and mediate between the Italians and Abyssinians, but he failed utterly and returned after many hardships in Egypt. Abyssinia has no port of her own. It is enclosed in the west by Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, in the east by British Somaliland, in the south also by English possession, while in the north by French and Italian Somaliland (Eurytrear). Great Britain knew how to secure the imports and exports of Abyssinia. The port from which the domination of Abyssinia's trade and commerce is carried out is Aden, almost opposite Djibuti, the French port of Abyssinia. There are bi-weekly steamers from Aden to Djibuti. At the time under review no steamer of any European or any other country had called at Djibuti—this was achieved by England's consistent and perpetual opposition and intrigue against the establishment of a coaling station at Djibuti. All steamers passing eastward call for their coal at Aden. Abyssinia is a country of enormous natural wealth-the existence of which England had the best knowledge. It has always been the policy of England, through might, intrigues, or downright bad faith, to prevent other nations getting a share in the opening up of Abyssinia. The chief exports from Abyssinia are coffee[1][ 1.This coffee is re-packed in Aden and sold as real Mocha.], timber, and skins; the imports, cotton goods, small arms and ammunition and hardware, nearly the whole of which was done through English agents in Abyssinia. Meanwhile, as we have seen, Menelik became Emperor of Abyssinia. He, in spite of English opposition and intrigues, surrounded himself by European advisors in order to benefit his country by the gradual absorption of European ideas and methods. However, England succeeded in preventing this. When Italy began to develop her aspirations and "pacific penetration" from Eurytrea, England incited Menelik to a war against Italy, in which Italy was terribly defeated by Ras Maconen. When the war was over England was the undisputed master. France has always been desirous of developing the trade of her possession Djibuti, the only port and door through which the world trade must and does pass. The French obtained a concession from Menelik to build a railway from Djibuti to Adis Abeba, the capital in the interior. England protested against this concession and obtained an alteration in the concession to the effect that the railway must be built jointly by England and France. The French immediately started with the building of the line in their own territory, i.e., from Djibuti to Harar, and were willing and ready to continue it from there to Adis Abeba jointly with England. But until this day nothing has been done. Consequently the French section has become and remained useless; indeed, the company, which built it went bankrupt and the French Government had to come to their rescue. After 1897 British influence, owing to the conquest of Sudan and the destruction of Dervish power and particularly as a result of the Fashoda incident described in a previous chapter, was increasing day by day. France occupied only a secondary position. Austria, forced by an unstable situation in the Balkan States to look for new markets for her exports, had her attention directed to the vast possibilities of Abyssinia by one of her prominent exporters. This gentleman fitted out a commercial expedition to Abyssinia, which arrived in Djibuti, February 19, 1904. In the previous year the United States sent a mission to Adis Abeba (the capital of Abyssinia) and concluded a commercial treaty with Menelik. This Austrian expedition had the support of the Austro-Hungarian Government, as is proved by the subjoined, original letter from the Austrian Foreign Office. >From this official document it is clear that the Austrian mission was a purely private and commercial undertaking, and it is also clear from the same letter that the Austrian Foreign Office communicated through the Austrian Embassy with the French Government. The mission reached Adis Abeba on the 29th of March, 1904, where, thanks to the letters from Minister Ilg to Emperor Menelik, they were very -well received. Herr Ilg was a kind of Foreign Minister and Chief European Adviser of Menelik. The two reproductions on the following page are from the original letters of introduction written by Mr. Ilg, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Adviser of Emperor Menelik of Abyssinia. Menelik granted a concession to this Austrian mission for opening branch offices anywhere in Abyssinia for trading purposes. Menelik expressed his desire to enter into a commercia treaty with the Austrian Government and intended sending a letter to the Austrian Emperor. Immediately after Menelik thus expressed his desire, Great Britain started her intrigues and put every possible difficulty in the way of the Austrian mission, and even succeeded in persuading Emperor Menelik not to send the intended letter to Emperor Francis Joseph I. The French Government-this time enemies of Great Britain, particularly in all questions affecting Africa-heartily supported the Austrian mission. The Austrian Government, meanwhile, being convinced of the great possibilities for commercial development in Abyssinia, decided to send a political mission in order to conclude a commercial treaty with Emperor Menelik. The Austrian Lloyd of Triest established a regular sailing between Triest and Djibuti. Germany has hitherto held herself quite aloof from Abyssinian adventures-prompted to do so by her desire to avoid any possible friction in that part of the world between herself and France. But the activity of her ally drew her attention to Abyssinia, and she decided to send a political mission to Emperor Menelik. This brought Russia, too, on the scene. The three missions, Russian, German, and Austrian arrived in Djibuti in January, 1905. Menelik entered into commercial treaties with all three missions, but Germany obtained the most favorable terms of any nation, due entirely to the composition of their mission. They sent with their mission a squad of one of their crack cavalry regiments, which immensely impressed Menelik. Great Britain and France had by this time composed their differences all the world over, having signed the Anglo-French Treaty (Entente Cordiale) on the 8th of April, 1904. They now combined to oust German and Austrian interests from Abyssinia, which they have accomplished by getting hold of the finances and railways of the country. The Bank of Abyssinia was established with British gold, France participating one-fourth in the subscribed capital. By the terms of the Anglo-French-Italian agreement of 18th of December, 1906, it was decided that France should build the railway as far as Adis Abeba, while railroads built west of that place should be British, and any line connecting with Italian possessions and colonies on the Red Sea should be built by Italy. This is but a littleknown episode in the sphere of international rivalry and intrigues, but it amplifies England's brutal selfishness in obstructing the legitimate and peaceful aspirations of other nations, except indeed that they agree to play second fiddle to her. England and France treated Austria and Germany as they had Germany in the Morocco question utterly ignoring her claims to trade interest. Italy, however, was let into the fold as part consideration of her support at the Algeciras Conference. pps. 155-164 --[cont]-- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, Omnia Bona Bonis, All My Relations. Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. 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