Evening star., 1954-09-10
French North Africu

I am often perturbed by the opinions
regarding the political situation in
French North Africa held by q large
part Of our press and by . great many
people In the public eye.
Such statements as George Meany
has lately INDUCED In show either q
lack Of knowledge Of that part OF the
world or, q desire to make cheap
political capital. I have spent good
deal of time in these countries.
As much as some people may dislike
being bothered with history, it is not
only wise and fair but absolutely neces-
sary to understand what has gone be-
fore ere one can properly Judge the
present. And. one must start long
way back.
The Vandals destroyed the North
African Roman colonies in the fifth
century AID. From 40, the time Of their
coming to Tunisia, that land and its
neighbors were in o state Of anarchy
or bordering on anarchy. Roaming
bands Of Vandals and others attached
to them levied tribute and DESTROYED
practically ut win. Belisarius in $50 de-
livered this region from them, and
during the next 100 years the Byzantine
Empire rebuilt and renovated most of
the former Roman towns and neighbor-
hoods and resuscitated much of the
North African agriculture and industry.
However, at about $50 the Arab invasion
began and all was thrown into chaos
again.
The true Arab is by nature nomad
and herder. He has allowed for over
twelve hundred years the reservoirs to
leak and wash away. the aqueducts to
rot and fall down. He has pastured the
mountainSides with, great fiocks Of
sheep and goats and he has burned the
forests in order to make pasture for
them. After the forests are burned he
pastures the land until hardly living
plant OF any value is left Then he moves
on to destroy another neighborhood.
Subject any great area to this sort of
exploitation for twelve hundred years
and you are apt to find most of it a
waste. Particularly is this so of a land
on which hot sun shines and which is
adjacent to the Sahara Desert, from
which from time to time blow the
siroccos.
After the Renaissance, as trade grew
and shipping increased by leaps and
bounds. it became increasingly evident
that some outside force would have to
control the North African countries
IT for no other reason than to stop their
buccaneering and marauding. That day
came in modern sense for Algeria in
the 1830s, for Tunisia in the 188Os and
for Morocco at the beginning of this
century.
The European-especially the French
have introduced very oppo-
site type Of character and life to these
countries. Hard working, frugal and
careful in all their ways, planning and
building for permanence, these Chris
tians Of course are viewed as foreign
conquerors and unbelievers. At first
many OF the Arab and Berber inhabi-
tants could not but appreciate order
and peace and a justice far more sure
and impartial than that meted out by
their Caids. However. the farther the
memory of their own governments re-
cedes into the past the greater becomes
the jealousy and dislike for the alien
European who too often shows impa-
tience and contempt for the native sand
his ways.
But, 1t is not correct to say that the
current troubles in Tunisia, for ex-
ample, are merely problem of ma
tionaliSm versus colonialism
1t is the European who has made
North Africa progress; and it is French
colonialism df you wilD which has
made these places safe for sedentary
occupations and which made possible
the increase in population from less than
1 million to over 20. 1t is the Chris
tian philosophy Of the rights and re-
sponsibility of the individual which has
forced aside acceptance Of the prac-
ice Of the unlimited authority of Sui
tans. Beys and Deys and the unbeliev-
able oppression and cruelty which some
of them practiced on their unfortunate
subjects. It Is the protagonistS of the
rights" Of these same Sultans, Beys
and Deys who are in large part creating
he troubles.
After the Christian Europeans-many
If them there since four generations
have by diligence and hard work built
Up their farms and enterprises and the
country as a whole, is it right that they
should be disinherited and left to the
mercy Of fanatical MoslemS egged on
" money from newly oil rich countries
n the Arabian peninsula?
ClarkS0m l. RAaII