851T.01/12⅙
Memorandum by Mr. Perry N. Jester of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs
Lord Swinton, British Minister of State for West Africa, has requested the appointment of a commissioner or special representative with headquarters at Accra, with whom he could consult frequently on economic and political questions, shipping matters, strategic services, purchase of essential raw materials and other similar activities connected with the joint war effort. Lord Swinton concerns himself not only with the coordination of colonial government affairs in the British West African colonies, as regards the needs of the war effort and the fighting services, but with the formulation and operation of British policy pertaining to the whole of West Africa from Gambia in the north to Angola in the south. He is also intimately concerned in the formulation of policy and the operation of agreements made there under affecting the French and Belgian colonies in Central Africa. He is furthermore indirectly concerned with coordinating the development of colonial policy in British West African colonies with the same policy as regards British East African colonies, working through the media of the West African Governors’ Conference and the East African Governors’ Conference.
The suggested appointment is a matter of vital importance to and an unprecedented opportunity as regards American interests in the greater part of the Continent of Africa. The immediate objective is the coordinating for the war effort of American activity involving the numerous new agencies of this Government which are now placing their representatives in the African scene; namely, BEW, WPB, OSS, OWI,6 and the Intelligence Services of the Army and Navy. There is also the operation of such organizations as Pan American Airways and American Export Lines Airways and Transcontinental Western [Page 39] Airlines. There is furthermore the present operations of the Standard Vacuum Oil Company in extending its facilities for servicing our war machine in African territory with petroleum products and the long-range policy of this company as regards leases concerning land, installations and equipment. The need for coordination of all these related activities and the correlation of them with British activities is both great and urgent.
There is, however, a reason of even greater importance for giving the most careful consideration to this appointment. The future of our economic relations with the greater part of the Continent of Africa is at stake today. The British statesmen at present working in that field, together with the colonial governments of British territory and associated British organizations which concern themselves with the war effort in the territory of other powers in Africa are thinking and planning now for projected and possible post-war developments in the economic and political ordering of the Continent. Decisions are being taken day by day and the groundwork for the structure of the future policies of the home governments is being mapped out. We should protect American economic interests in that Continent by having adequate representation on the spot to keep this Department advised of the trend of events, of the political and economic maneuvering of other powers, and of those steps which should be taken for the protection and furtherance of American interests.
It is suggested that we should send a special representative of the President to work with Lord Swinton and other British leaders in the war effort, but also to keep constantly in mind the long-range program of our interests in all of that territory. I feel that this Government should appoint an outstanding, eminent American, who in personal capacity and background would be fully equal in stature to the type of British statesmen who are controlling British interests in Africa. He should be someone who is well versed in world economic affairs and particularly one who has had experience in negotiation and contact with British statesmen and officials. To send anyone less well qualified would only result in attaining for American interests the second-rate position which such second-rate representation would inevitably deserve.
Such an official, it is further suggested, should have a general commission to concern himself with the coordination of the war effort in the territory of the United Nations in Africa.
As pointed out by Mr. Willkie7 in his address last evening, the days of imperialism and of the colonial system are definitely drawing to a close and we can look forward to the rise of nationalism equally in Africa as in other areas in the Near, Middle and Far East. Present conditions of control and government and the economic ordering of [Page 40] colonial possessions are undoubtedly due for a change, and in the era which is ahead we should be prepared to deal with such conditions of flux and change through the most adequate representation in the field that our Government can achieve.