H.E. Belaten Geta Heroy

(Advice to the Son & in Memory to the Father)

Translated into English by Dr. Ghelawdewos Araia

By: Daniel Gizaw (Book Review)

Ethiopia has been lucky to have extremely intelligent politicians leading her foreign affairs ever since the time of Emperor Menelik II. At the beginning of the twentieth century, once the Emperor realized that the country’s connection with foreign nations was vital to his ambitious development plans for his nation, he knew finding the right person to place at the helm of this crucial post was equally vital.

Between 1907 and 1910, the colorful H.E. Negadras Haile Giorgis W/Michael became the first minister of foreign affairs. And for a brief moment, in 1912, the powerful and unyielding Fitawrari Habte-Giorgis took over. Then a lull in foreign affairs existed at the time when Dejazmatch Yimer ran the post between 1912 and 1916. It wasn’t until 1917, when the shrewd and outward-looking Ras Teferri Mekonnen, then crown prince of Ethiopia , took over that things started to roll. After 1917, Ethiopia placed her foot on the shores of the Western hemisphere, abandoning her days of protracted hibernation. Leaving a lasting impact on Ethiopia ’s foreign policy, the Crown Prince set the direction for all future occupants of the office to be aggressive in finding new partners and friends for his nation.

His motto was: Look outward!

He was then replaced by H. E. Belaten Geta Heroy W/Selassie, an equally ambitious and erudite man, whose vision for Ethiopia ’s foreign policy went far beyond the region. Belaten Geta Heroy was the first Ethiopian dignitary to visit the United States , in the summer of 1919. Upon visiting the Metropolitan Baptist Church , in New York , extending his gratitude to his hosts, he said, “On the part of the Ethiopian Empire we desire to express the satisfaction we felt on hearing of the wonderful progress the Africans have made in this country.” His arrival to the United States made headlines in most newspapers and was ardently appreciated by the African-American communities. Mind you, this was the time the Repatriation Movement was at its peak, with the likes of Marcus Garvey, one of the greatest advocates of the movement, curiously watching the guest and his entourage. As only very little was known about Africa at the time, a person from the continent was a subject of scrutiny.  New Yorkers, however, weren’t disappointed. The mild-mannered, and extremely cautious and prudent Belaten Geta Heroy, as if he brought the biblical Ethiopia into the heart of the City, made everyone comfortable. His majestic aura instilled pride and confidence as men and women in the African-American communities spoke about him with joy.

Belaten Geta Heroy, after his grand tours to America and the Far East, was promoted to Foreign Minister (1930-1937), thereby assuming the post after the Crown Prince. His tenure was filled with promises, high hopes and left a lasting impact on the country’s progress toward the future. It’s believed that Belaten Geta Heroy had a huge influence on implementing the English language as the main official language for the country’s international connections. (On the same subject, in my Amharic book, entitled Fikre-Kidus, published in 2005, I have stated Belaten Geta Heroy’s contribution in this matter.)

In his superb translation of the book entitled “Advice to the Son & in Memory of the Father” (written by Belaten Geta Heroy), Dr. Ghelawdewos Araia, has achieved a major accomplishment. Translating an Amharic book into English is a leviathan task, as anyone can attest. Since the tone, voice and grammar procedures and rules are variably different, the message could be lost in the process. Dr. Ghelawdewos meticulously captured the voice and the message in a manner unique to translators. Having read both the Amharic version of the book and the translation, I must say that I am impressed by the outcome of the book. Although Belaten Geta Heroy’s book is small (only 27 pages), his message, however, is considerably large and monumental.

“Advice to the Son & in Memory of the Father” is a book that unveils the character and nature of the author. We normally don’t know too much about our public officials since there are very few books written about them. We see, however, Belaten Geta Heroy as a man with considerable moral values. We learn from the book that his overriding moral crusade is to show his son to be an upright citizen. He beholds morality as the guiding force in his everyday endeavors and asks his son to be a righteous person. About deficiency of character and the dreadful intentions of evil men, he has this to say to his son: “Oh my son, instead of getting scared by the might of the lion, tiger, and other wild animals, beware of those wicked people who aren’t afraid of God. Unless the wild animals are provoked, they do not go after people. But wicked people don’t sleep unless they destroy the person they were looking for. Unlike the sharp weapon, it is the tongue of bad people that pierces and penetrates deeply.”

On compassion he has this to say: “Whether it is by litigation or by force, do not evict a poor person from his house. Even if he is indebted to you, give him time to pay off his debt and don’t force him to sell his property and his house.”

I see on the first page the picture of a handsome Belaten Geta Heroy, with all his medals of honor (from Ethiopia, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, the Vatican, Sweden, Greece, Egypt, Luxemburg, Japan, Portugal, Australia, Jerusalem, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch) adorning his broad chest.

His book, although written to his son, gives us a glimpse into the nature of this important person in modern day Ethiopian politics. He was, certainly, a deeply religious man with profound Christian values.  “Oh my son, as it occurs to me (your father), the best of all religions is Christianity, and from all the books the Gospel is the best book. By saying this, I want you to study the Gospel and live as a Christian, but I don’t mean to say that you should say ‘my religion and my book are the best’ to those who like to debate.”

Please carefully note in this advice the author’s sagacity: “…but I don’t mean to say that you should say ‘my religion and my book are the best.’”

 I appreciate Dr. Ghelawdewos’s erudite performance in this effort and, additionally, I extend my gratitude to Mr. Shimelis Chali Yilma (who first came to me to find him a qualified translator) and Mr. Fisseha Tsion Yilma, both grandsons of H.E. Belaten Geta Heroy, for their generosity in getting this book into the hands of readers. To those of us who are Ethiopian political aficionados, this, regardless of its size, truly is a treasure.

For further information about the book, please view www.Africanidea.org.