REVIEWING
MILITARY MANOEUVRES
Today, as We have observed you so
efficiently carrying out the manoeuvres which mark the completion of your
annual training, We have been renewed in the conviction that you are well
worthy of accomplishing the military duties which are expected of you.
In this age, when the world is becoming
ever smaller and the obligations of Collective Security have become the
obligations of all, it is vital that Ethiopia’s armed forces be at all times
fit and ready to discharge these duties.
We have in the past repeatedly stated as
Our creed and Our goal the hope that today – when the nations of the world have
opened their doors and technological and scientific progress has increased the
means and the speed of communications – that today, the spirit of equality and
the exchange of culture and mutual understanding among men might prevail and peace
might reign on earth.
Our sole desire is peace.
At present, no enemies threaten Ethiopia's
tranquillity. But no one can predict or postpone the changes that time
invariably carries in its wake, and one must be ever prepared to meet and cope
with these changes.
The maintenance of peace requires eternal
vigilance and a state of constant readiness. To achieve these ends, Our defence
forces, which have as their ultimate objective the assurance of peace, can draw
upon the traditional bravery of Our people and the latest developments in
modern military science.
It is commonly believed that military
training can serve only on the field of battle. On the contrary, it can make a
significant contribution to the cause of Collective Security and the
preservation of peace. This is Ethiopia's constant goal.
We are proud to say that We consider Our
defence forces to have attained that degree of preparedness which demonstrates
to all that they are amply qualified to fulfil their duties, and that the goal
which We have set for them has been fully realized.
Peace is the foundation for development.
Ethiopia’s armed forces, established only for the preservation of peace, draw
upon 3000 years of heroic tradition and guarantee to Our people that, by their
mastery of modern military science, they are capable of achieving this most
desirable of ends.
You
who have executed these manoeuvres before Us with such skill and efficiency
have proved yourselves worthy of the trust which We have reposed in you. We
know what effort and perseverance is required to perform these exercises in the
skilful manner which you have displayed, and We are assured anew that whatever
tasks are assigned to you will be discharged with the same competence and
dispatch.
The soldierly qualities of self-sacrifice
and discipline are best tested and demonstrated in the ordeal of fire. Today
reveals that you possess these essential qualities in abundance and, even more
important, that the inherent courage and valour of the Ethiopian fighting man
courses through your veins.
We take pride in reminding you that the
tradition of Our Imperial Body Guard has been to follow unquestioningly the
call of duty and to laugh in the face of death. To you who now take the place
of those who have gone before you falls the sacred task of upholding this noble
and glorious tradition.
We urge that you remain abreast of the
latest and most modern military techniques, and that you preserve yourselves
ever vigilant and fully prepared to answer your country's call.
In the Second World War, when
psychological warfare was so effectively used, it was Our Imperial Body Guard
which proved to the world that neither threats nor lures could divert the
Ethiopian people from the path of duty. As your fathers did before you, dedicate
yourselves to the traditions of loyalty and bravery. Prove yourselves worthy of
the high and noble duties to which you have been called.
May 2, 1960
Selected
Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie – page 603 –
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