Speech of The Day (127): Inauguration of The Imperial Ethiopian College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts at Alem-Maya, Harar

On Thursday, January 16, 1958, His Imperial

Majesty Haile Selassie I inaugurated the

Imperial Ethiopian College of Agriculture and

Mechanical Arts at Alem-Maya, Harar. On

this occasion His Majesty the Emperor made

the following speech:

"It gives Us great pleasure to be present here to

inaugurate the College of Agriculture and Mechanical

Arts, an occasion which marks a great and far-reaching

advance in Our programme for the promotion of agri-

cultural education. This institution will serve as a

source of inspiration in carrying out the agricultural

programme which We have laid down for the future.

In establishing this College for the development of

the natural wealth of Our country, agriculture and

animal husbandry, on modern and scientific lines, Our

main purpose has not been merely to develop and utilize

these basic resources to supply the daily needs of Our

people, but, in addition, to produce a surplus to be

shared with other countries of the world. Ethiopia,

to some degree, has done this in the past. For example,

when the world was sorely distressed by lack of food

immediately after the Second World War, Our country,

although she herself had for five long years been struggling

to recover from the terrible damage inflicted upon her

during the War, was yet able to perform a significant

service in supplying foodstuffs to the countries of the

Middle East. And We have been pleased to observe

how, since then, Our people have increasingly devoted

themselves to improving the agriculture of Our country.

A country and a people that become self-sufficient

by the development of agriculture can look forward with

confidence to the future.

Agriculture is not only the chief among those

fundamental and ancient tasks which have been essential

to the survival of mankind, but also ranks first among

the prerequisites to industrial and other developments.

History affords Us ample evidence that mankind

abandoned its nomadic way of life and developed a

settled, communal economy only when man became

skilled and competent in agricultural techniques. From

the beginnings of recorded history, right up to the Middle

Ages, and even as late as the beginning of the Industrial

Age in which we now live, agriculture has always con-

stituted the fundamental source of wealth for the human

race.

Only when a solid agricultural base has been laid

for Our country's commercial and industrial growth can

We ensure the attainment of the ultimate goal of Our

development programme, namely, a high standard of

living for Our people. Commerce and industry, being

concerned in the main with development and distribution,

can only develop and profit from existing resources, but

cannot actually create things which did not exist before.

Most of the districts of Our Harar Province are

populated mainly by nomadic peoples. Now that We

are in a position to anticipate an adequate water supply

from the rivers and wells in the region, the area will

flourish and land will no longer lie fallow in the Province,

if only the people of Ogaden, Esa and Adal could be

educated in agricultural techniques. All this can be

attained only by means of the wisdom which flows from

the fountain of education, and while this College will

serve the whole of Our country, its being established in

the Province of Harar is the result of careful planning

and consideration on Our part.

Even in this nuclear age, in spite of the revolutionary

changes in man's way of life which science has brought

about, the problem of further improving and perfecting

agricultural methods continues to hold a position of high

priority for the human race. It is hard to believe

that a substitute can ever be found for the occupation of

agriculture --- sacred task graciously conferred upon

man by God to serve as the source of his well-being and

the basis of his wealth.

Our country, Ethiopia, being blessed with an

abundance of natural resources, need not be anxious

about her own needs. However, it is Our constant

endeavour and Our firm desire, that Our people will

produce not only enough to meet their own requirements

but that their production will enable them to share and

exchange the fruits of their labour with other countries.

If only Ethiopia, with an assured wealth of natural

resources, would look at what the barren Sahara Desert

has been made to produce by the endeavour of trained

scientists, she would realize that science is the source

of wealth. We would, therefore, have Our students and

scholars accept as their primary duty the attainment of

scientific knowledge through education.

We have placed Our trust in this College to be the

chief instrument for the attainment of this high goal, and

We are confident that the students who have today

received their diplomas from Our hands, as well as those

who follow them in the future, will through the achievements

furnish Us with tangible evidence of the fulfilment

of this Our purpose and Our desire.

Agriculture and industry are indispensable one to

the other. Only close cooperation between these two

branches of knowledge can guarantee the fulfilment of

Our programme of economic development for Our

country.

This College, which holds a prominent place in the

plans We have laid down for the prosperity and welfare

of Our beloved people and country, can look forward

to receiving the same constant support which We have

shown in the past.

It is with pleasure that We express on this occasion

Our gratitude to Our great friend, the United States of

America, for the generous and significant assistance they

have given to this institution as part of their great effort

for the development of the spirit of cooperation and

understanding among the nations of the world. We

would request His Excellency the Ambassador to

convey Our thanks to his Government.

If the late Dr. Bennet, who laid the plans for this

institution and whose great desire and tireless efforts to

achieve the establishment of an Agricultural and

Mechanical College in this country are well-known to Us,

were with Us today to see the fulfilment of his plans, how

happy he would have been! With deep sorrow in Our

heart, remembering the words "Man proposes, God

disposes", We pay a tribute to his memory in this hour.

We would like to express Our sincere thanks to the

Director of the Point Four Programme in this country,

the President and staff of this College, and all of Our

officials who have laboured to bring this institution into

being.

It is not enough for the children of Ethiopia to be

recipients of education. They should never forget that

the responsibility for passing on this knowledge to others

and of handing it over to the next generation rests on

them. "

Speeches delivered by His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie Ist Emperor of Ethiopia on various occasions - page 35 - &

Selected Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie – page 5 –