ABYSSINIA. (Hansard, 2 August 1926)

§ Mr. RENNIE SMITH
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the 2648W contents of the covering letter and the Note which have been sent by the Abyssinian Government to the League of Nations in connection with the Anglo-Italian Agreement. affecting Abyssinia?

§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAIN
The Note referred to by the him). Member was publishedin extenso by the Press on the 30th of July. The covering letter was a formal document, forwarding this Note together with copies of the relevant correspondence.

§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Note which has been sent by the Regent of Abyssinia to the Secretariat of the League of Nations, protesting against the recently-concluded Anglo-Italian Agreement relating to his country and stating that the Agreement was concluded without the knowledge of the Abyssinian Government and is opposed by that Government, will be laid before Parliament; and whether he proposes to make any comment upon it?

§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAIN
The correspondence is at present incomplete, but I shall be glad to publish it when it is concluded.

§ Mr. PONSONBY
asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, whilst negotiating with Italy regarding the economic spheres of influence in Abyssinia, he kept in touch with the Government of Abyssinia; and whether and when that Government agreed to the building of a barrage for Lake Tsana?

§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAIN
The building of the Tsana barrage by His Majesty's Government or the Government of the Sudan was foreseen in assurances given to Sir John Harrington by the Emperor Menelik in March, 1902, and confirmed by an exchange of Notes but the Agreement of the Abyssinian Government to an actual scheme remains to be obtained. The communication to the Abyssinian Government during the course of protracted negotiations with Italy of information regarding their progress would not have contributed to their successful outcome. Once agreement had been reached the Abyssinian Government were immediately informed of the substance of it.