Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-03
West Feels Upsurge
Of Anti-CoIoniuIism

was liberated by us, and the Phil
ippines and Puerto Rico.
What really troubles us is that
the big colonial powers, France and
England, are our closest friends.
They are constantly in need Of
our support, not only in world
politics. but financially. And yet
we are among the most ardent in
trying TO push their colonies toward
self-government.
Solution of the problem Of these
possessions in Africa and elsewhere
is not just question of giving them
Independence. Many of them
would begin starving to death at
once. Others would revert to a
state Of happy. or unhappy. SEMI
savagery. Others. such as the
North African states, would simply
fan INTO cver-ready communism.
OF the colonial powers, Britain
has taken the largest steps to con-
vert her possessions into independ-
ent countries associated with the
mother country IN a friendly Com
monwealth. Pakistan, Burma, India
and Ceylon have been freed. In
India. Englishmen became immedi-
ately the most popular foreigners
there. instead of the most hated.
Malaga, with its rich tin and
rubber resources, is to become in
dependent this year-the entire
jungle peninsula except Singapore.
Just what kind of colonies" re-
main in the hands of the so-called
colonial powers?
Some are strategic. England has
said fatty she will not give up
such places as Gibraltar Malta.
Alden Protectorate. Singapore and
Hong Kong. When India went. Eng
lane los an easy lifeline c0nnec-
ton to Australia. but shored it up
with naval and air bases in Ceylon.
Now Ceylon has said these may not
be used in any war in which Ceylon
is not a party.
Britain is trying to repair this
damage by building an Raj base
on the coral atoll of Addu, one of
that multitudinous group of islands
running from India to the equator.
Problem of the interior
Just how and when is independ-
ence to be given to interior African
peoples whose culture ranges from
few OXford-graduated Negroes
at the top of the social scale, to
witch doctors who sometimes in
siSt on parts taken from living
human bodies for their rites?
There are, for example, the
Negro communities along the west
coast of Africa, such as the newly
liberated COLO Coast. These have
had contact with European civili-
cation for 500 years.
But a few dozen or a hundred
miles inland, whole areas are with
out schools or even bicycles. In the
Lake Chad area of French Equa-
torial Africa, only one person in IS
has been TO school at all.
England has always followed a
papa knows best" attitude toward
her colonies. trying to educate them
slowly. sometimes ever so slowly,
toward Self-government within the
British Commonwealth.
Until recently Belgium offered
as little as possible of education
and participation in public life to
its subjects in the Congo and the
neighboring trustee territory OF
Ruanda- Urundi.
France has followed a different
system. She has tried to educate
al elite class in each colony
who would be bound to France
politically and culturally. She has
followed a policy of pouring her
own sons into the administrative
posts in the colonies, giving even
the educated elite little chance
to learn the routines of running
business or government.
Russia Is Pressing
So far, Africa is market largely
held by the West, but the threat
of Russian penetration is ever pres
ent. She has established a strong
foothold in Egypt Her show Of
power in the Suez Canal affair will
enliven opposition parties in the
whole Of black Africa. British off,
Gals say its effects already are
evident.
1t is always vastly damaging to
a nation to muddle up a military
That happened in Suez.
1t was here the first recent one for
Britain, but il was a bad one. For
France it was worse. She has had
two military setbacks now, lndo-
China in 1854 and now Suez. More
over she is on the verge of having
a third, in Algeria.
II Algeria goes, it could set UP
a whole train Of disaster for France.
and confusion in the whole Of
Africa. The French flag flies over
such large section of Africa that
chaos there could mean chaos
throughout.
(Tha Annotated prn.aN