Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-11-30

development ana closer Ties y
Fortunately for US, his WI
Mexico sized country, wher
Mr.. Houphouet- Boigny's Afri
can Democratic Rally (RDA
rolled to Its usual 100 per cen
victory ct the polls Sunday.
At last count. the RDA helt
about half the national assem-
bly, seats in the seven ex'
French West African states
controlled the assemblies II
four Of these republics.
Mr.. Houphouet- Boigny 4
used to q large stage. Born thu
son Of q Baoule chief. h
gravitated from medicine Il
coffee planting, formed thu
RDA in 1916 and recruited TOO.
900 members within two years
often using Communist tech.
niques and slogans.
Expelled Communists
The Ivory Coast leader allied
himself for parliamentary pur.
poses with the French Commu-
mist Party. q move which almost
wrecked the RDA.
Mr.. Houphouet- Boigny ther
expelled the Communist mem.
bers from his party, rebuilt the
RDA, and largely through his
efforts was able to deliver al
Of French Africa with the ex.
ception Of Guinea to Gen
Charles de Gaulle when the
latter offered the option Of in
dependence or continued aSso.
citation with France to the for
mer colonies in 1858.
In contrast to most national
list leaders, Mr.. Houphouet-
Boigny has never believed that
1t is enough to be black. Al
though he had employed Com
munist techniques to attain his
goals, he maintained that
French Africa's future lay in
total equality with France with
in the framework Of the French
Community.
Last year Gen. de Gaulle,
against Mr.. Houphouet-
Boigny's wishes. acceded to the
desire Of Mails Modibo Keita
that the then autonomous
French African republics should
be allowed to attain full inde-
pendence without FORGETTING
their membership in the Com
munity.
Left Him Exposed
Gen. de Gaulle's move left
Mr.. Houphouet-Boigny in an
exposed political position. Tc
counter assertions that he was
o black Bao Dali, the Ivory
Coast leader, who had served
in five French cabinets, re-
signed all his Paris posts, re-
turned to Abidjan and de-
manded full and Immediate
independence for his state and
those associated with 1t In q
customs union, the Voltaic Re.
public. Niger and Dahomey.
In contrast to the procedure
followed by the other French
African states, he refused to
negotiate any new relationship
with France until after inde-
pendence had been granted in
August Of this year.
Since this relationship has
yet to be defined. Ivory Coast
and the other three republics
Of Mr.. Houphouet- Boigny's So
called Conseil c'Entente (Coun-
ell Of UNDERSTANDING legally
are not members Of the French
Community.
And In Sundays Ivory Coast
election, Mr.. Houphouet-
Boigny refused to renominate
the 10 whites who had served
in his 70-member national
assembly.
Rupture Not Real
This apparent rupture be.
tween Ivory Coast and France
is without reality. But it Is
very good politics and has freed
Mr.. Houphouet = B oigny ir
African eyes of the charge o.
being o French stooge.
In fact, relations between Mr.
Houphouet- Boigny and Gen. d,
Gaulle have never been NOR,
cordial. as was well illustrated
last month at q meeting her,
Of eight top-level French Afri
can leaders from as many re
publicG
Out Of the conference cam
the word that the French Afri
can states, at MIR. Houphouet
Boigny's insistence, would op
pose any condemnation q