St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1961-01-06
same rights as Africans" he add

same rights as Africans" he add
ed.
On the subject Of aid to African
nations, O'Hara said the African
countries want and need assist
ance on a mo strings attached"
basis. This refers to aid from eth
er the East or the West.
He said African leaders made it
very clear that their position was
not one of neutrality but one Of in
dependence. O'Hara said Africans
don't want to feel that they have
to vote in a bloc.
O'Hara pointed out that this de-
sire for independent action on the
part of African nations is not nee
essarily a feeling of hostility to-
ward the United States. He re-
emphasized the point that Africans
want help but they also want to
remain free Of commitments.
He said acceptance Of aid from
Russia by African countries does
not mean they are Communists.
They want aid" he said, land
the Russians give it with no
strings attached while we put
strings on our aid"
O'Hara indicated that though
the Russians give assistance with
out commitments, they send in
their own technicians. He said the
Russian technicians now in Ghana
are young men who know their
mission"
There are some very able lead
ers in Africa" O'Hara said. Con-
tinuing this line of discussion, he
said: There are probably conflicts
of ambition among many African
leaders who perhaps want to be-
come the dominant figures in
Africa. In the end this may work
out well.
"Lumumba Is being regarded as
a symbol. He seems to be the one
elevated by the will Of the people
in many countries" O'Hara de-
clared.
The element of propaganda in
Africa is spreading, O'Hara re-
ported. For example, he said, while
in Ethiopia during their tour the
members Of the team were &C
cused by the Soviets Of having a
hand in the attempted overthrow
Of the Halle Selassie government.
O'Hara said this was a redicul-
Gus accusation, since the Amer
leans had come to Ethiopia on a
fact-finding mission. The fact that
trouble broke out two or three
days after their arrival was COIN
cidental, O'Hara added.
The Illinois congressman declar-
ed that there are not enough Ne
groes representing the us. in for
eign service and Africa is no ex-
ception to the rule. He said that
in Ethiopia, for example, there are
395 Americans working in govern
ment service. OF this number, he
said, only two are Negroes. He
said people in Ethiopia and else
where in Africa are talking about
this.
O'Hara said there are not
enough Negroes in the United
States Information Agency. He de-
clared that there are many able
Negro newsmen, many of whom
he knows personally, who could
qualify for posts with USIA.
He said he would recommend to
the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs that more Negroes be used
in the foreign fields. O'Hara added
that he felt the other members of
the subcommittee have the same
view on this matter.
Cities visited by the 5-man team
included Cairo, Egypt, in the Unit
ed Arab Republic; Adds Ababa,
Ethiopia; Nairobi, Kenya; Dar-es-
Salaam, Tanganyika; Entebbe,
Uganda Lagas, Nigeria; Accra,
Ghana; Monrova, Liberia, and
Rabat, Morocco.
During the 21-day tour Amer
leans talked with top-ranking AZ
rican officials including Julius
Nyerere in Tanganyika, Tom
Mboya in Kenya, Governor Gener-
al Nnamdi Azikewe In Nigeria,
and President William v. s. Tub