Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada • 5

Changing Political Face Page THE CALGARY HERALD Five Friday. March 13, 1964 The Tide Of Independence In Africa ct Today's Best From "Why, Ewald, I didn't M. WfttCAjJj MALAGASY Chou En-lai Woos Ceylon This is the first of two articles by Carol Kennedy, of The Canadian Press, describing events in Africa leading to independence, and the people involved. LONDON In less than a decade, Africa's political face has changed almost out of recognition. It has also changed color.

Eight years ago there were four independent states ruled by non-whites Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and Liberia. By Carol Kennedy The Canadian Press Today, except for a handful of Spanish and Portuguese enclaves scattered down the west coast, there are only four countries left under white control South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, Angola and Mozambique. The tide of nationalism-Arab and African has flowed south faster than anyone thought possible a decade ago. In this atmosphere, Chinese generosity has emphasized Western "unfriendliness." A people unused to the complexities of international politics and ideologies will see it as simply as that. China's interest in Ceylon, apart from the accepted reasons of ensuring a ring of friends around India, making certain of additional support at the UN, and seeing that Russian and Western spheres of influence are not extended, lies in the possibility of Ceylon as a base to mount a trade offensive in the vast African markets.

Discussions were reportedly held during the visit as a result of which Ceylon is likely to become a trans-shipment centre for Chinese goods. Equally of interest to Prime Minister Mrs. Bandaranaike was the Sino-Indian border dispute, which she determined to solve. Ceylon delgates are convinced of China's intentions to settle the issue peaceably. (Copyright) Europe (Germany) know you cared." ing of new clothts is customary).

An acute foreign exchange crisis, however, promised to make the government's promise difficult to keep. But even as a Ceylon trade team was negotiating for credit purchases in Peking, came a Chinese offer of a substantial gift of textiles. As if this were not enough, they reiterated an offer of 30,000 tons of rice, promised to buy more Ceylon rubber, and to finance the building of an international conference hall and a national theatre project. It could also have other effects. These dramatic gestures have come at a time when the West has hurt Ceylonese feelings.

The nationalization of petroleum distribution led to the withdrawal of U.S. aid. The recognition of East Germany has cost Ceylon West German aid and has had the U.S. and British ambassadors tut-tut-ing at the external affairs ministry. (The London Observer) OS? Of the four great European empires that once largely shared Africa, three the British, French and Belgian-have fragmented into a network of independent states.

Only Portugal retains its African empire, outwardly intact inwardly beginning to crack. With the break-up of the Central African Federation, black Africa now rolls right down to the north shore of the Zambesi, impatiently shoving its shoulder against bulwarks to the south. In an ironic reversal of Cecil John Rhodes' Cape-to-Cairo imperial dream, this vast continent big enough to hold Canada three times over with room to spare is reverting to native ownership. Cape Town, nestling at the southern tip, is the ultimate prize coveted by Rhodes' pan-African successors. These are turbulent times for the new leaders of Africa.

The continent has awakened from its long sleep to be plunged almost overnight into the terrifying world of power politics and jet-age technology. Aggravated by Africa's age-old racial splits and a desire to taste the material fruits of independence, these pressures tend to erupt in revolts and mutinies. Often stable and progressive native governments, as in Tanganyika, are threatened. The chain reaction of violence in East Africa led many whites to ask ruefully if the Union Jack was pulled down too soon. To these people, the word Congo tolls like a warning bell.

The former Belgian colony that became a blood bath on independence in 1960 was indeed a bungled hangover. And even now, with Prime Minister Cyrille Adoula presiding over a nominally united country, peace may depart with the last UN troops in July. But most commentators agree the clock cannot be turned back. Aside from moral arguments, Britain probably had to get out of East Africa while it still had some goodwill and trust. South of the Zambesi, the unrest that independence seems to bring will certainly strengthen white determination to stop the flood if it can, but there is too much impetus behind the nationalist tids to suppose that it can be contained indefinitely above the Victoria Falls.

African leaders feel tomorrow is theirs. The trouble is that in heady over-anticipation, many have promised the moon and their followers expect to have it delivered along with independence. Some leaders have tolerated the training of underground movements, so-called "freedom fighters" who, in mobilizing for some future as-sult against the white south, must also be regarded a danger to established moderate governments. Such movements are fertile ground for the Communist technique of backing selected trouble-makers to create confusion for an eventual coup. This groundswell, push-" ed along by Chinese or Cuban propaganda, may have provoked the revolts that flared from Zanzibar across East Africa.

In Tanganyika, though President Julius Nyerere is personally opposed to violence, Dar-es-Salaam has long been a free port for such movements. Lusaka in Northern Rhodesia may become an other. What are the Communists up to in Africa? Observers divide their aims into two phases: Short-term rabble-rousing by trained guerrilla fighters, designed to produce chaos, basically non-ideological. Russia, China and Cuba all seem to have a finger in this strategy. China's skilful long-term campaign for the political soul of Africa, aimed at aligning the colored, have not nations against the white, highly industrialized societies of Russia and the West.

So far, African politicians-have proved impervious to the lure of Communism, as indeed to any other outside propaganda. They do not want to become embroiled in the Cold War, partly, no doubt, because of economic self-interest but also because they are uninterested in foreign idiolog-ies. Even those who have flirted with Communist aid, like Guinea's Sekou Toure, sooner or later revert to a neutral position. General de Gaulle's recognition of Peking is unlikely to alter this basic attitude in the influential block of African states linked with France. Commentators see more significance in the growing num- A Gesture Of Generosity SPANISH SAHARA 2 SFNCGAt 3 C.AMBU 4 5 GUiNf A 'SlRRA lEONt 7 U8ER1A IVOR COAST '6 9 GHANA 10 HOGO DAHOMEY 12 CAMEROON 13 RtOMUN! RfO.

Of CONGO 13 CABSNDA 1 S.RMO$lA XT MOlAMPtOUE t9 NVASAiANf UGANDA SCSMAUA 8aOa aufUNOl ber of states in north and east Africa showing a practical interest in the European Economic Community. For example, Algeria, under its left-wing but non-aligned leader Ben Bella, has been assiduously wooed by Chou En-lai, yet recently put out a feeler to the Common Market. Since winning independence in 1961, it faces a crushing task of reconstruction. Nigeria, led by federal Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Baelewa, has gone further in EEC negotiations, a sign that old fears of neocolonialism are fading. Nigeria's decision to seek economic links can be seen as part of a pattern created largely by one patient, pro-Western African statesman-Felix Houphouet-Boigny, president of the Ivory Coast and a mellow diplomat of 58 who COLOMBO Red Chinese Premier Chou En-lai looked weary and drawn when he flew into Colombo on the last lap of his Afro-Asian tour of making sure of his friends and influencing other people.

Put when he left he must have felt confident that the non-aligment policy of such nations as Ceylon was no bar to friendship. The visit, with its strict security arrangements and constant schedule changing, certainly provided conversation for the vast mass of people who couldn't care less about the Sino-Indian border, nuclear disarmament, or further Belgrade and Bandung-style conferences. Then came a grand gesture aimed at just these people. Since the government took over the import of non-luxury textiles there has been a shortage of cloth, necessitating a form of rationing. The government had promised the people plenty of cloth for the Sinhalese new year in April (when the wear formerly represented his country in the French Parliament.

He is the architect of the so called Monrovia block mainly composed of former French possessions in the equatorial belt but joined in 1961 by Nigeria, a Commonwealth member containing one-fifth of all Africa's Negroes, and by Liberia, the oldest black republic on the continent. Monrovia is anti-Communist and favorable to Europe, directly opposed to the militant Pan-African nationalism of the Casablanca block Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Morocco and the United Arab Republic. Among its leaders are some engaging figures, notably jovial President William Tubman of Liberia, who runs his exuberant country as a family business, and Habib Bourguiba of Tunisia, a persuasive voice of compromise and reason. None holds the prestige of Houphouet who, nonetheless, has often had a tough job justifying his friendship with France. Like Bourguiba, he found his ideal of a North African "special relationship" with the Fifth Republic in ruins after the battle for the Bizerte military base.

On the domestic front too, Houphouet's task is hard. Not only must he compete with the emotional appeal of Casablanca policy; his "liberal economy" which allows French businesses to operate profitably on the rich Ivory Coast is often compared favorably with the aggressive Socialism of Ghana, Guinea and the U.A.R. His success or failure, say African pundits, could have continental implications -ASK n1A; "A tin. -dtt 1 Take It From If you're looking for great carpet value you want it DICK SANBURN Famous VI because you get high-styled carefree luxury at remarkably low prices. Here par Suzanne Derer than we would pay for a similar U.S.

strip. Same old problem with a much bigger market, the U.S. item can be sold for less. Nevertheless, we bought these features at premium prices, purely because they were Canadian, and what happened? They withered on the vine. The only Canadian cartooning in The Herald, aside from our own Torn Innes, is Lou Saw's "Time Out" which appears on the sports pages.

And Lou Saw is an Australian who trained as a pilot in Canada during the war, and came here to live after the war. We tried once to find a Canadian cross-word puzzle, because people complained the one we had wa5 too American. For your information, there is no such thing as a Canadian cross-word puzzle. We brought one in from England, hoping that would help. People complained it was too hard.

So we abandoned it, too. Now we're back to an American puzzle, the best we can find. This situation doesn't make me happy, not one bit. We don't buy American material in preference to Canadian; we buy it because it's all that's available, in most cases. A fair amount of British feature material is on the market, but in very many instances it just isn't tailored to North American tastes.

We do have, of course, the fabulously successful British panel Andy Capp, which is now appearing in newspapers in nearly 40 countries. He's the kind of totally useless bum who is, apparently, universal. In any event, the main point about being a "truly Canadian" newspaper doesn't really involve comic strips and columns. It involves ownership, control, and policymaking. The Herald and its sister Southam newspapers are most decidedly Canadian-owned and controlled, and their policies are made solely in Canada and solely by Canadians.

That is the important thing owned and controlled by Canadians, with policies made in Canada by Canadians and it's a lot more than can be said for vast chunks of other sectors of the Canadian economy. In fact, I suggest, you'd have to look very hard indeed to find anything more thoroughly Canadian-controlled than Canada's daily newspapers. United States interests have already tried to buy up certain Canadian newspapers, but they have not succeeded, and I pray devoutly that they never will succeed. But I would be greatly surprised if they don't keep trying. It could happen, but it would be another national tragedy if it ever did.

There was a very well-written letter in last Saturday's Herald, from a lady who set about removing some skin from TIFH and me for our column about the way Canada is being bought up, piece by piece, by the Americans. She seemed to be very familiar indeed with the general contents of The Herald, and among other things she said we could make a real contribution to Canadian autonomy by throwing out all the U.S.-created features The Herald now publishes. She figured we'd lose about 90 per cent of our readers by thus becoming what she called "truly Canadian," but she contradicted herself a bit when she named several American columnists appearing in The Herald and said "they could easily be replaced by Canadian writers." Sorry, ma'am, but that isn't right. I wish it was. I wish there was vastly more good Canadian material available, columns and features and comic strips and comic panels and cross-word puzzles and all.

But there just isn't. Just in passing, because the lady mentioned Helen Gurley Brown's column Woman Alone, I can let her in on a secret. This column will be disappearing from The Herald in a couple of weeks. We decided it had shot its bolt. And if the lady can point out to me any Canadian heart-throb columnist of the stature of Ann Landers, I'd be delighted.

Repeated surveys have shown this to be one of the best-read features in The Herald. We wouldn't dare drop it. The roof would probably fall in. The truth is that all the feature-type material I mentioned is available by the carload in the U.S. I have a directory here, the size of a magazine, which lists literally thousands of features of every conceivable kind.

You just wouldn't believe how pitifully small is the list of available Canadian material. At regular intervals, representatives of all Canadian syndicates call in here at the office. For the most part, they are agents for material originating in the U.S., but you can be sure they let us know emphatically if anything has shown up in Canada worth trying to sell. It doesn't happen often, believe me. Over the years.

The Herald has made a point of asking these syndicate people for Canadian-created features. Two or three times in recent years, a Canadian comic strip showed up, and The Herald invariably bought it at a premium price of up to 50 per cent more Tomorrow's Fashion Leader designs and colours Jordans Nylon broadlooms are designed in the very latest sculptured effects to satisfy every style conscious lady. Amazingly resilient. Jordans Nylon broadlooms never show footprints they resist matting and retain their lustrous texture forever. Incredibly strong.

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