Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1962-09-15
Private Capitol
investments
Wanted By
African Leaders
Washington

can hardly wait to take their
place in the highly Industrial
lied world in which they have
suddenly come of age.
The United States reacheo
economic maturity gradually
over the past century or two.
The new nations cannot wall
that long.
1--WE feel we have to skip at
least FIVE generations OF de-
velopment in order to catch up
with the pace of this modern
world" they tell Dawson
Moreland, French-speaklng
business representative. and
former Foreign Service officer,
TO whom many of them turn
with their problems.
"What can you do to help
u.s." they ask.
They put the same question
TO officials of the State and
Commerce Departments. They
ask businessmen.
More than anything else they
want to attract private capital
to Africa. They want Ameri-
can businessmen TO invest in
Africa future.
In one case a small African
nation considered building an
oil refinery.
Bpt, Mr.. Morelsnd pointed
out. the country had no basic
industries for the building of
such refinery-a foundry.
sheet metal works. or ma
chine shop.
Under those conditions, a re-
finery would not only be costly
to build. but it would have no
supporting industries for plant
requirements in case of a
breakdown.
So the project was automat-
lcally ruled out as uneconomic.
Mr.. Moreland recalled one
country which wanted Ameri-
can funds with which to ex-
pand and modcrnizc an exist
ing furniture factory. The
country was in desperate need
Of furniture for schools and
other buildings.
This factory had prospective
contracts enough to keep it 60
ing at full capacity for five
years, Lets see the contracts"
said the American businessman
following usual business pro-
cedure.
But the African could not
obtain the contracts until he
had plant which could pro-
duce the furniture.
The American businessman
IS unaccustomed TO thinking in
terms of the comparatively
small investments needed in
most countries in Africa today.
What the African nations
most need. III the experience of
Nh. MOreland vino lived in
Frcnch-Speaking Africa for
taanN Years while i'm the
Foreign Service, is the dc
NelOpment Of the smaller. sup
porting industries first.
The JOB nf Dawson Morcland
& Associates is to help the
African make contact with
American businessmen, 10
study business methods and
operation firsthand.
If an African wants TO see
how fruits and vegetables are
canned in an American factory.
how a bakery is operated, tires.
retread. how soap is made, a
machine shop is run. or a
laundry and dry cleaning
plant. Mr.. Moreland is pre-
pared 10 arrange for on-the-
job training or observation.
1t is all a part of this very
new type enterprise developed
as a result of his special knoWl-
edge Of and intense interest in
the African countries.
When he retired from the
Foreign Service and started d
new career. African nations
were becoming independent
one by one, Mr.. Merchant fore
saw the tremendous opportun-
tiles Tor development in these
countries and The increase in
terest of American investors in
this newly emerging part Of the
world.
He is confident this neW-old
continent can achieve much
and he wants to help the AZ
rican in his determination to
catch up-in a hurry.