Italian Fascist War Crimes in Ethiopia - Societa italiana di storia ...

Italian Fascist War Crimes in Ethiopia 97
questions are causing,” he demanded, “could we not have some clearer definition
as to what exactly a war criminal is and to what extent that should cover
not only this campaign but others?”
To these interventions, the Government spokesman vouchsafed no re p l y. 2 8
Foreign Office Reaction to Law’s Parliamentary
“Inexactitudes”
The above Parliamentary exchanges were carefully followed at the Foreign
Office. Its officials, better informed than MPs, were somewhat concerned about
Law’s Parliamentary “inexactitude,” even though it furthered their overall
object of stifling discussion on the sensitive issue of Ethiopia’s exclusion. They
knew only too well that the Ethiopian Government had not been “informed”
on the original negotiations concerning the commission, and that it was equally
untrue that it had “offered no comment on them.”
Allen, who had drafted Law’s bungled re p l y, was particularly peeved. On the
f o l l owing day, he wrote a minute on “Mr Law’s supplementary assurance that
the Ethiopian Government we re informed at the time negotiations for the establishment
of the War Crimes Commission began and that they offered no comment
on them,” and bluntly commented “I am afraid that this is not the case. ”
Referring to his earlier minute, prepared for reply to Creech Jones, he
recalled that it had, on the contrary, been “decided from the beginning that our
discussions should be limited to the exiled European Governments, the three
other major powers, and the Dominion Governments.” As for Law’s error, he
added: “The Ethiopian Government were informed in advance of the Looting
declaration issued last December, but they have never been told anything about
the War Crimes Commission.”
Allen’s statement was in itself bizarre. What he termed the “Looting declaration,”
of December 1942, was the Allied declaration incorporated in Eden’s
statement of 17 December 1942. It had scarcely any connection with “looting,”
but merely enunciated the “solemn resolution of all freedom-loving peoples to
overthrow the barbarous Hitler tyranny” in Europe, and to ensure that those
responsible for “war crimes” should “not escape retribution.” 29 This declaration,
which was allegedly brought to the Ethiopian Government’s attention,
was of no direct relevance to Ethiopia, whereas the War Crimes Commission,