Evening star., 1954-04-14
Ruth Sloan Associates Created to Tell
America About Growing, Varied Africa
By Betty Miles

whose darkness was broken 70,
Americans only occasionally by
pictures Of animal hunts that
brought them back alive" !"
emerges as a rich quilt Of cul-
lures in the light modern ex-
pertS throw on it.
Ruth Sloan, who last January
set up Ruth Sloan Associates, 3
non-profit foundation designed
to acquaint as many Americans
as possible with Africa and its
Importance to us, declares: II
don't claim to be an expert on
Africa. But I know the African
experts"
Her associates, in effect, are
the experts in Africa, Europe
and America upon whom she
calls for information, and for
articles for her newsletter, "Afri-
can News"
Yet since her wartime expert
ence as labor and cultural at
tache in Egypt, DR.. Sloane herself
has visited Africa four times, has
Travelled in % countries, has
headed the y. 8. Information
Agency's program for Africa. and
mas been deeply impressed by the
people and the young countries
developing on an old continent.
The average PERSONS concept
OF the African Is that he Is q
primitive person. He thinks that
al Africans are one type" DR..
Sloan pointed out. Nothing, she
added, could be less true. The
men and women Of Egypt.
Morocco. the Sudan, Kenya, the
Gold Coast, the Congo, the
Union Of South Africa and the
other countries are as different
as the men and women Of
Europe.
After 10 years, I'm beginning
to know something about it."
she said. But It's Q vast con-
tinent, with complicated prob
lens. Africa Is Just beginning
to develop politically, economic
ally and socially. II you visit a.
country like the Gold Coast,
where they're Just on the verge
Of self-government, it's very ex-
citing.
There is a feeling Of trust, Of
terrific hope in Africa" she OBJ
served. "They look to the fu-
ture. So many countries today
look to the past, and to the
glories Of the past"
Lobor Of Love
Relaxed, articulate Mrs. Sloan
manages to put in a staggering
work week in which IL to Is
hours day, z days a week is not
unusual. with only the assistance
Of q weekend secretary, in the
Sloans' apartment at the Berk-
shire, 4201 Massachusetts, avenue
NV. There, surrounded by the |
750 books on Africa In her IL
brary. and the paintings. sculp-
ture and other objects which re-
hect the heterogeneous conti-
nent. she works on her monthly |
newsletter. african News" and
her many other projects. "Afri- |
can News" is edited by Helen A.
Kitchen. who is with the Depart
ment Of States research division
in the Near EaSt-African area.
Mrs. Sloan, who was director of |
the African area for the policy |
and programming staff Of the
United States Information |
Agency until her resignation last
January, serves as q conSultant
to the agency once q week.
She is also q consultant to
businessmen on Africa. Years
ago. public relations Of American
firms abroad weren't considered
important. but this is not true
today, Mrs. Sloan reported. Now,
ways to prevent antagonisms
are sought, instead Of trying to
resolve them after years Of fric-
ton.
These antagonisms can be pre-
vented il the firm Is awsre Of
the Importance Of good race re-
lations, Mrs. Sloan pointed out.
And II they start to Africanize
their staff before they are asked
TO.
'The Africans, who are bas-
ically friendly toward us,
know a good deal more about
US than we do about them," Mrs.
Sloan remarked.
A number of leading govern
nent officials were educated in
Europe and the United States,
including the prime minister of
he Gold Coast. DR.. Kwame
Nkrumah, who studied here for
eight years. She hopes mutual
understanding between America
md Africa will cement this
friendship.
Mrs. Sloan, who will partici-
pate In q forum on Africa at
Syracuse University In July,
plans q lecture tour next fall,
when she will speak to univer-
sity groups. clubs and foreign
policy associations. She hopes,
100, to be able to establish pub