§ 5. Mr. MORGAN JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make a statement with regard to the situation in Abyssinia and the fighting that has taken place there; whether instructions have been telegraphed to His Majesty's representatives at Borne and Adis Ababa in regard to the delimitation of the frontier, and whether this matter is connected with the negotiations now in progress with the Italian 798 Government in regard to an Anglo-Italian air convention?
§ Sir J. SIMONAccording to my information, the course of events since the 23rd November has been as follows:
On that date the Anglo-Ethiopian Boundary Commission, which has lately completed the demarcation of the frontier between Ethiopia and British Somaliland, and which is also charged with the investigation of the watering and grazing areas which for generations have been used by nomadic British Somali tribes, arrived in the vicinity of the wells of Walwal and Wardair, which have always been so used. These wells lie in the neighbourhood of the undefined border between Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia, and have been in Italian occupation for some time. The Italian Government had previously been notified of the joint commission's movements, but it appears that the officer commanding the Italian troops at the wells had not had this information passed on to him, and on their arrival he declined to permit the joint commission to enter Walwal and Wardair, whereupon a formal protest was recorded by the British representative, Colonel Clifford, and his Ethiopian colleague, the commission subsequently withdrawing to a camp some 30 kilometres distant. On the 5th December a serious encounter, in which I must emphasise that the Anglo-Ethiopian Joint Commission were in no way concerned, occurred between Italian colonial troops and Ethiopian forces in the vicinity of the two wells. Since then the Ethiopian Government are understood to have made an offer to the Italian Government to submit the dispute to arbitration, and they have now reported the matter to the League of Nations.
As it is understood that the disputed ownership of the wells at Walwal and Wardair, where, I must repeat, the boundary between Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland has never been demarcated on the ground, had given rise to local unrest, I instructed His Majesty's representatives at Rome and Addis Ababa, prior to the above incident, to recommend to the Italian and Ethiopian Governments, the desirability in the interest of good relations of proceeding to an early demarcation of the frontier. I should add that before news had been received of the clash on the 5th December, 799 the Italian Government had informed His Majesty's Government of their willingness to allow Colonel Clifford and his Ethiopian colleague of the Boundary Commission to enter Walwal and Wardair to carry out their work. As soon, however, as His Majesty's Government learnt that a clash had occurred between Ethiopian forces and Italian troops instructions were immediately despatched to Colonel Clifford to withdraw his section from the affected area, similar instructions being sent by the Emperor of Ethiopia to the Abyssinian Commissioner.
The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. JONESCan the right hon. Gentleman give us an assurance that His Majesty's Government will continue to watch this very delicate situation; and should it not be dealt with by the League of Nations?
§ Sir J. SIMONI cannot make a further statement after the rather long statement I have made, but, of course, my hon. Friend may be assured that if the matter comes before the League Council in January His Majesty's Government will try to discharge their duty.