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Introductory Issue -------- October, 1992

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Wednesday October 21, 1992

Subject: BOOK COLUMN

Personal thanks to Solomon Ungashe and other members who participated in the discussion of nationalities questions which gave me the will and the drive to read part of our history as written by the late Paulos Ngo Ngo. As you know, Ato Paulos is also an Oromo which should give us a unique perspective compared to the previous books published about "Emperor Menelik". The book is mostly comprised of facts and actual communication records used at that time. I found this so interesting that I decided to share it with you. This is not merely my opinion, but it is a translation of what is stated in the book itself. Since I plan to post some interesting points that are associated with the controversial issues of the present time as well as other facts, I urge all of you to participate in the discussions that will evolve out of it. I would like to start a column on a regular basis. I would like to put the serious and humorous side of Menelik's era. The page numbers correspond to the actual pages in the book should you have the desire to read the book.

For today I have the following:

ELECTRICITY (page 270)

One day, when Emperor Menelik with foreign visitors was showing the city of Addis Ababa, they reached a place where criminals were hanged from a tree. The Emperor tried hard enough to divert the attention of the foreigners to the opposite direction. However, the foreigners noticed it and asked the Emperor, "why do you carry out death penalties this way?" Emperor Menelik replied, " these are criminals who killed innocent people; don't you execute these kind of people according to the law of the land in your country?" The foreigners said " yes, the criminals are executed using the electric chair, not out in the public like this." Menelik asked back " how does this electric chair perform this task?" The reply was " you make the criminal sit on the chair, and turn on the switch. Automatically, the criminal dies." Menelik was so impressed that he ordered three electric chairs, and were delivered from the United States Upon its arrival, criminals in death row were brought in and were forced to sit on the chair while Menelik was standing to watch how it is done. At this time, the Emperor's engineering advisors said, " Your Highness, the chair does not kill by itself."

The Emperor replied " why not?"

The advisors: " it needs electricity."

The Emperor: " what is electricity?"

The advisors: " electricity is useful to generate light and energy."

Menelik: " I need to import electric power system here. In the mean time, give me one of the electric chair to be used in the room where the throne is kept, and give the other one to LQUE MEQUAS Abate."

This way electricity was introduced in Ethiopia for the palace in 1889 Ethiopian calendar.

Keakbirot Gar,

Teodros Kidane