213. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Murrow) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)0
Senator Ellender’s remark that Africans do not have the ability to govern themselves1 has now been so widely disseminated by press and radio in Africa that prolonged damage to U.S. prestige is likely to result.
It is only a question of time before Communist Bloc propaganda exploits his comments fully.
In the long run we may well regain all we lose. However much depends upon our day-to-day prestige in the pulling and hauling that surrounds the Congo issue, the attempts by Nkrumah to force us out of Ghana and a number of less identifiable but equally serious situations related to African nationalism which are up for decision in the near future.
The State Department release has helped. The Agency is using all its resources. However more is needed. We suggest that Pierre Salinger give the press—on behalf of the White House—something along the lines of the attached.2
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Africa. No classification marking.↩
- On December 1, at a press conference in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, Senator Allen J. Ellender of Louisiana said: “My own government, of course, supports the United Nations efforts to make as many of the countries of Africa independent as desired to be, or happen to operate their own government. Now personally I wouldn’t have any quarrel with that if those who are to operate the government were competent to do so and had the capability. But I’ve yet to come to any of them wherein that capability exists and for that reason I stated that the time for this change to independence is a little early, quite early.” (Telegram 222 from Salisbury, December 4; Department of State, Central Files, 770.00/12-462)↩
- Attached but not printed. For text of the Department of State statement issued on December 4, see Department of State Bulletin, December 24, 1962, p. 961.↩