A Visitor with Gifts

To give thanks to France for having sponsored Abyssinia's entry into the League of Nations, arrived in la ville lumiere Ras Taffari, Crown Prince and Regent of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), the first of his House to visit Paris since the reign of Louis XIII (1610-1643). With him he brought two lions and two zebras for President Millerand.

At the Gare de Lyons, President Millerand and Premier Poincare and a large attendance of ministers and diplomats awaited the train which bore the future King of Kings of Abyssinia and his suite of Field Marshals. After the arrival of the royal train, Ras got a little mixed over the etiquette of descending to greet the President which, as was pointed out, was not surprising considering that there is only one railway line in Abyssinia. Handshakes over, the Prince, "who is descended from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba," drove with the President through the gay streets of Paris. Parisiens are accustomed to having their plaudits acknowledged by even the most autocratic of rulers, but Ras and his gorgeously clad Marshals "batted not an eyelid" which quite intrigued the people and caused them to "vive" him more than ever. While in Paris the Prince occupied the royal suite at the Quai d'Orsay; the Marshals--Ras Hailov, Viceroy Godjam, Ras Seyoum, Ras Nado and Governor Ilubador--were housed elsewhere.