Word: emperor
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Meanwhile Ethiopia's ousted Emperor had quietly entered the Assembly Hall in tropical white tunic and black cape, having checked his broad-brimmed hat outside. His Majesty, taking a seat in the fifth row, sat quietly through van Zeeland's reading of Il Duce's note. He also sat through a long speech by flowery Delegate José María Cantilo of Argentina, the country which had demanded that the Assembly meet on the Ethiopian Question. Harking back to President Hoover's meticulous
Bedlam. Finally Professor van Zeeland called Emperor Haile Selassie, and the bird-like little Ethiopian advanced to the League tribune. As he picked up the 17-page typescript of his speech a nutter of applause stirred in the general gallery. For Italian journalists in the press gallery this was the last straw. Jangle-nerved after months of watching Italy badgered with Sanctions at Geneva, they jumped up, bellowed jeers and curses at the Emperor, screamed "Viva Il Duce...
Selassie Speaks- Always the embodiment of bird-like grace and dignity, Ethiopia's Emperor read his speech in Amharic, a dignified language in which the syllables telescope into each other so closely that for minutes at a time His Majesty seemed to be uttering one enormous word. Small League fry had no idea what he was saying, but big League wigs listened through earphones to simultaneous translations of the speech, getting it by the flick of a switch in either French or English. Everyone agreed that it was a great speech-one of the noblest, most factual, irrefutable...
Noble excerpts: "I, Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, am here today to claim that justice which is due to my people and the assistance promised eight months ago, when 50 nations asserted that aggression had been committed in violation of international treaties. . . . "It is my duty here to inform the Governments assembled at Geneva-responsible as they are for the lives of men, women and children-of the deadly peril which threatens them by describing to them the fate which has been suffered by Ethiopia...
...Assembly vote yes or no on whether $50,000,000 shall be loaned to the Ethiopian Government of Haile Selassie. Professor van Zeeland asked for a poll by vocal roll-call. So visibly ashamed were the League delegates not to vote $50,000,000 into the pockets of the Emperor that 23 said "no" in tones barely audible, 25 maintained shamefaced silence, nine were not present, and only the Emperor's doughty General Ras Nassibu shouted out the solitary "YES!" for Justice and $50,000,000. At this result His Majesty was afterward said by his entourage...