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The Emperor of Ethiopia ( Haile Selassie ) to President Roosevelt
My Dear President Roosevelt: I welcome the opportunity offered to me by the visit of Major General Maxwell to Addis Ababa to express anew the admiration and deep esteem which I nourish for you and the People of the United States of America.
It has been for me a great pleasure to welcome at our Capital Major-General Maxwell and to meet in his person one of the Authors of the Victory which smashed the power of the Axis in North Africa.
Major-General Maxwell’s visit to our Capital offered me the opportunity of making known to him the relations that I earnestly wish should exist between the United States of America and Ethiopia.
I am assured of the friendly feelings of Major-General Maxwell towards me and my country. It was therefore with pleasure that I have set forth fully before him my wish and desire in the course of the friendly conversation which I had with him on February the 11th. Major General Maxwell told me that he expects to go soon to America. I am therefore taking this opportunity to ask him to convey this message, and to request him to communicate to you a report of our conversations.
The United States of America are fighting under your enlightened leadership a war for human freedom and liberty as is traditional to them. The principle and sacred cause you so unswervingly defend has become a source of hope to humanity in this distressed world. Ethiopia is one of those nations who look forward to an early new era of justice and good deeds.
I renew the assurance that Ethiopia, following the foot-steps of the United States of America, is ready to share, within her power, the efforts and, if necessary, the sacrifices required to reach the common end.
May the Almighty guide and assist you in your difficult task.
Yours sincerely,
- Signature in Amharic on the original.↩