Full transcript of the CBC interview with Bill McNeil and Emperor Haile Selassie I (29 April 1967)

The Order of Primus St. Croix presents the full transcript of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) Bill McNeil and Mr. Robert Thompson, former leader of the Social Credit Party in Canada, interview with His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie the First aboard the Canadian Royal Train between Winnipeg and North Bay en route to the International and Universal Exposition (Expo 67) in Montreal on April 29, 1967: 

[The grammar inconsistencies are a result of His Majesty altering between Amharic, French and English with the help of an Ethiopian interpreter.]

Bill McNeil: Your Imperial Majesty, I’d like you to talk about your appearance before the League of Nations when you pleaded for your country in 1936.

His Majesty: Yes, the Ethiopian people as well as myself fought as much as we could on the ground the fascist aggressors, but as it is well known the fascists were well armed. They had the latest weapons, they had air power, Ethiopia had possessed none. After losing the battle in the front we thought we should start another battle, a political battle at the League of Nations. You have heard of the speech I have made and of the appeal I have made to the League of Nations in 1936.

Bill McNeil: Your Imperial Majesty, what were your own personal feelings at that time?

His Majesty: My personal feeling with my hope, I continued to struggle to have our freedom from the fascists.

Bill McNeil: Did you ever give up hope, Your Imperial Majesty?

His Majesty: Never in anytime. I continued with big hope because I have a relation with my patriot people; I continued to encourage them, they continually struck.

Bill McNeil: You kept working while you were in Britain; you were in exile in Britain for how many years?

His Majesty: Four year and half.

Bill McNeil: You knew all during that period that someday your day would come?

His Majesty: If I haven’t this hope, I can’t resist to live with this hope. I hoped, very strong hope, I lived four year and half in England.

Bill McNeil: What is your country like today? Do you have many problems in Ethiopia?

His Majesty: Yes, the problem We have in Ethiopia is essentially the same as in all other developing countries. The problem that We face is how to quickly raise the standard of living of Our people, how to strengthen Our democratic constitution in practice. But there’s no problem as opposition to the State or opposition to me.

Bill McNeil: You are descended, Your Imperial Majesty, from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba?

His Majesty: This is just our history, ancient history. The Queen of Sheba, she go to visit Solomon, King Solomon. She met one friend, she returned back to her country. Our history says since that time with son from King Solomon comes.

Bill McNeil: You are the 334^th in the line of succession?

His Majesty: Yes, exactly.

Bill McNeil: And the 134^th of the Christian Kings. Christianity came to Ethiopia I believe in 330 A.D.?

His Majesty: If you read the Bible, can get this, what time the Christianity comes in Ethiopia.

His Majesty: The book of Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament mentions the story of the first convert to Christianity, that was the Ethiopian eunuch who was the courtier of Candace, Queen of Ethiopia. He had been up to worship at Jerusalem and on his way home driving along in his chariot and reading the prophet Esaias, met the apostle Philip who preached to him about Christ the son of God. And when the eunuch believed, Philip baptized him in the water and the eunuch went on his way home rejoicing. This, according to the Bible, is the first Ethiopian to be converted to Christianity. The story is found in the book of Acts chapter eight verses twenty-six to thirty-nine.

Bill McNeil: Your Imperial Majesty, you were thirty-nine years old when you were crowned in 1930.

His Majesty: Yes.

Bill McNeil: Could you talk a bit about the day of the Coronation?

His Majesty: Yes, my Coronation day was very memorable to me. Not only We had Ethiopian participants in the event, but also a lot of foreign emissaries partook in the celebration of the Coronation day.

Bill McNeil: The Coronation itself was a Coptic service, Your Imperial Majesty?

His Majesty: They are the Coptic but also the Ethiopian bishop they are with Coptic churchmen.

Bill McNeil: People in Ethiopia are then aware of Canada?

His Majesty: Yes, Ethiopians know quite a bit about Canada. It is the first country We brought teachers from. There are still Canadian teachers in Ethiopia and I hope We are going to get more Canadian teachers into Ethiopia in the near future.

Bill McNeil: Will your son succeed you on the throne, Your Imperial Majesty?

His Majesty: Why you ask me this? If he come to help my throne why I say you’re heir apparent to own Ethiopia?

Bill McNeil: Your Imperial Majesty, I’d like to talk about the form of government in Ethiopia.

His Majesty: The form of government We have in Ethiopia is essentially what We have inherited from Our forefathers. We have duly established a Constitution in order to give it a legal and a firm basis. In order to have a firm democratic basis you must have education on a wider scale. For that purpose We have seemed to help that educational facilities are expanded throughout the country. We based Ourselves on certain fundamental democratic ideologies, these have been practiced by Our forefathers. We give legal sanction to it and this in the broad aspect is the general framework of the Ethiopian governmental institution. What the people of Ethiopia need now is to get as much foreign aid as possible so that the developmental process of the country will be quickened, and once We achieve this We are going to be in a position to make with other countries maximum contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security.

Bill McNeil: Is there a parliament in Ethiopia, Your Imperial Majesty?

His Majesty: Since We- I give the Constitution, We have the parliament with all power. We gave the power useful for the government.

Bill McNeil: Would the parliament be very much like the one we have here in Canada, with the elected members from all over the country?

His Majesty: We have two chambers in Our parliament, one is the senate whose members are appointed by the government. The other is the lower house, or House of Representatives, whose members are elected directly by the people. These two bodies work in cooperation and together they constitute the parliament of Ethiopia.

Bill McNeil: There are millions of Christians throughout the world, Your Imperial Majesty, who regard you as the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

His Majesty: I have heard of that idea. I also met certain Rastafarians, I told them clearly that I am a man, that I am mortal, and that I will be replaced by the oncoming generation and that they should never make a mistake in assuming or pretending that the human being is emanated from a deity.

Bill McNeil: Could we come down now, Your Imperial Majesty, to things more worldly and we’ll talk about first of all your little dog? How long has the dog been with him?

His Majesty: Five years.

Bill McNeil: Do you ever have any trouble taking him from country to country?

His Majesty: No, any trouble. He’s very intelligent dog.

Bill McNeil: He’s your eternal companion?

His Majesty: Yeah.

Bill McNeil: Yes, do you have any other pets?

His Majesty: I have in my palace many lions, dogs and other animals also. Generally I like very much the animals.

Bill McNeil: I believe coffee is the principal export of Ethiopia?

His Majesty: Yes we have coffee, you can say that normal coffee also comes from Ethiopia.

Bill McNeil: It’s the longberry mocha I believe it’s similar to.

His Majesty: It has the quality of mocha and other kinds of qualities.

Bill McNeil: Is there an attempt made in your country to expand other types of industry?

His Majesty: Industry has developed in Our country but We do not find the rate of growth fully satisfactory, and I’m confident that We quicken the pace of industrial development.

Bill McNeil: Is television a factor in your country?

His Majesty: Yes in Our capital we have television, it’s quite educational.

Bill McNeil: You don’t import American or Canadian programs it’s mostly an educational network, is it?

His Majesty: He’s in international studies, he can tell you anytime.

Interpreter: With regard to opening the programs from the United States, from England- oh I’m sorry for Canadian which have been supplied to us by the embassy and also come back live programs now our live program is a big success.

Bill McNeil: I would like to now pass the microphone to Mr. Thompson, I’m sure there are many things about the country that are still missing from our interview so if I could pass this to you Mr. Thompson and let you take up any of the gaps that I’ve missed.

Robert Thompson: I wonder, Your Imperial Majesty, if you could tell us what you consider to be the most important assistance that we could give to you as you become an ever increasing important nation in the world.

His Majesty: I would like to discuss this topic after I see the Prime Minister of Canada and then I’ll be free to discuss this matter. I have prepared a list of the kind of assistance that is required from the Canadian government and I will have the opportunity of submitting it to the Prime Minister of Canada.

Robert Thompson: Another aspect of Ethiopia we have not talked about is the fact that in Addis Ababa is located the United Nations of Africa, the Organization of African Unity, the beautiful Africa Hall. Likewise, there is located in Addis Ababa the United Nations Technical Assistance Program for Africa. The goal of Ethiopia in bringing Africa into her own has been led by Your Imperial Majesty. Would you care to comment on the importance of the OAU in Africa, Your Imperial Majesty?

His Majesty: The people of Africa had close sentiments to each other even before they were free. I remember when Our country fell victim to fascist aggressors, We got the sympathy of Africans everywhere but at that time, since the African people were not free, they were not in a position to manifest, in concrete fashion, their sympathy and their detest for fascist aggression. However, now that the African people are free, they wanted to get together for the purpose of widening this fear of cooperation among them. And in this respect, Ethiopia is proud in being the site at which the Organization of African Unity has been established and where the headquarters of the Organization has been housed. Africans are brothers, we have the same goal, we cherish the same ideas, our problems are problems of development, problems of increasing cooperation and as such we shall forever march together to fulfill our aspirations as Africans. I also believe that when African people get closer and expand the sphere of their mutual cooperation then Africa as a continent will be in a position to have a significant voice in the international affairs which affect the question of peace and war.

Robert Thompson: Your Imperial Majesty, last year Canada finally opened an embassy in Addis Ababa. Will Ethiopia be opening an embassy in Ottawa in the near future?

His Majesty: Canada and Ethiopia have concluded an agreement about the establishment of diplomatic relations. I am glad to see that Canada has fulfilled her part of the promise and established an embassy in Addis Ababa. We are also in the process of doing that and when I arrive in Ottawa I’ll be in a position to explain to the Prime Minister of Canada about Our determination to establish an embassy in Canada as soon as circumstances permit.

Robert Thompson: Your Imperial Majesty, on behalf of fellow Canadians we are delighted that you are in our country. In the past several days you’ve had an opportunity to travel almost from one coast to the other, you’re just coming to the end of that trip now. Do you have an impression of Canada?

His Majesty: I was happy and highly impressed by what I saw in Canada. I saw the genuine sentiment of the people, the affection that they have entertained for Our people, it was a happy occasion for me to see that and I’m really delighted.