780.00/9–1950
Memorandum of Conversation, Prepared in the Embassy in the United Kingdom 1
Subject: Communism in Africa
| Participants:2 | Mr. Michael Wright, Assistant Under Secretary of State for Africa |
| Mr. Roger Allen, Head of African Department | |
| Mr. John Cotton, African Department | |
| Mr. E. H. Peck, Information and Research Department | |
| Mr. Walsh-Atkins, CRO 3 | |
| Mr. Marnham, Colonial Office4 | |
| Mr. George McGhee, Asst. Secretary of State | |
| Mr. E. H. Bourgerie, Director, Office of African Affairs5 | |
| Mr. Samuel Kopper, Deputy Director, Office of Near Eastern Affairs6 | |
| Mr. Joseph Palmer, Embassy7 | |
| Mr. John Root, Embassy8 | |
| Miss M. J. Tibbetts, Embassy |
Mr. Allen opened the meeting by asking for State Department comments and queries on the Foreign Office paper on Communism in [Page 1552] Africa.9 Mr. McGhee said the State Department information was in general, in accord with the conclusions of the Foreign Office paper. It had been agreed at Lourenco Marques10 that Communism as such was not an acute problem in Africa mainly because of the primitive condition of the people and also possibly because to date the Russians have not given the area a high priority. It was recognized that in Africa there were lots of trouble spots because of the generally low standard of living, but it was also recognized that nationalist movements and local discontents were not in most cases Communist inspired. In a sense the lack of Communism in Africa was surprising. It was the US opinion that the French territories were the most susceptible and that there was also a certain danger in African students who went elsewhere for their education. Mr. Bourgerie then asked for the latest Foreign Office opinions about the possibilities of Communism in Libya.
Mr. Allen said that the Foreign Office was not aware of much Communist activity in Libya although it was difficult to say what might happen. If the transition to independence did not go smoothly, Communist activities might increase. Tripolitania was the only likely field and there was a certain amount of communism among the Italians in Tripolitania. The situation did not seem to be grave, and Communist activity was more the activity of individuals than an organized indigenous movement.
It was mentioned that in the French territories the Labor movement might be the center of Communist activities but it was not the Foreign Office view that to date the Labor movement in Africa was a serious source of Communist strength. Mr. Bourgerie and Mr. Kopper referred to the visit of a group from North Africa to Moscow. The British had not heard of this visit but agreed that there were many possibilities of contact through the Russian Consul General in Algeria who might be able to arrange for visits of this nature.
To date the British authorities have no real evidence that the Indians in East Africa have contacts with the Communists in India.
Mr. Walsh Atkins said that there was no evidence that the Union of South Africa was a center for Communist activities in the continent. There was evidence that some Communist propaganda from [Page 1553] the Union was being disseminated fairly far north and the constant traffic of migrant labor to and from the Union was a dangerous potential. As yet, however, the Union does not seem to be an active danger spot and the South African authorities were very much alive to the need of constant surveillance and care.
On the question of students Mr. Walsh Atkins said that the South African Government had considerable misgivings about these students as potential Communist agitators and may impose a more restrictive policy. Already the South African Government has begun to withhold travel facilities from African students who wish to go to India.
Mr. Marnham said that with respect to West African students it had been found advisable in West Africa to endorse their passports only for the UK thus preventing the students from travelling about the continent. This procedure was less satisfactory in respect to the stowaways who could get their passports in the UK and were thus able to travel about. There were potential dangers in the situation of the students in the UK and the Communists did seek them out. It was the belief of the Colonial Office that a rapid development of educational facilities in the Colonies themselves would make it possible for the students to secure their education in their home areas although there would always be a certain number of students, preferably post-graduates, who would go outside to study. Nor would it be desirable to choke off completely the flow of students to and from the UK. There was no evidence that students who had been to the US were particularly affected by Communist influences.
Mr. McGhee stated that in the information program the US aim had been to give the local peoples information of substantive value and the British said that also had been their idea. The field was practically unlimited in size and there was an enormous amount which could be done by such means as mobile units and the saucepan radio sets. It was agreed that established procedure in the exchange of information on Communism between the US officials and Colonial Office officials in the field appeared to be working satisfactorily. Mr. Marnham was to arrange for Mr. Bourgerie to speak with the Colonial Office information specialists to discuss in more detail the sort of information program which might be of value in the areas under discussion.
Both the US and the UK were considering the advisability of opening Consulates at Brazzaville and Abidjan because it is felt that there is need for more information from and cooperation with the French.
It was agreed that cooperation on all aspects of this problem will be continued.
- The authorship of this memorandum is not indicated on the source text, but it probably was prepared by Margaret Joy Tibbetts, Attaché in the Embassy in the United Kingdom and an expert in African affairs. The source text is one of a set of memoranda covering the various agenda items discussed by Assistant Secretary of State McGhee during his visit to London, September 16–23; regarding that visit, see the editorial note, supra. File 350 Africa of the London Embassy Files for 1950 includes a copy of the memorandum printed here together with a British record and a joint U.S.-British record of the meeting.↩
- Wright, Allen, Cotton, and Peck were all officers of the British Foreign Office.↩
- L. B. Walsh Atkins, Assistant Secretary of State, British Commonwealth Relations Office.↩
- J. E. Marnham, Assistant Secretary of State, British Colonial Office.↩
- Bourgerie became Director of the newly created Office of African Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs on August 10.↩
- Kopper was named Deputy Director of the newly created Office of Near Eastern Affairs of the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs on September 14.↩
- Joseph Palmer 2d, First Secretary of the Embassy in the United Kingdom.↩
- John F. Root, Second Secretary of the Embassy in the United Kingdom.↩
- A copy of the 18-page document under reference, entitled “A Survey of Communism in Africa”, dated June 29 and prepared by the Research Department of the British Foreign Office, was transmitted to the Department of State as an enclosure to despatch No. 1199, September 13, neither printed (770.001/9–1350). Another copy of the document, presumably delivered by the British Embassy in Washington to the Department of State, is included in file 770.00/8–250.↩
- Regarding the West and East African Regional Conference of American Diplomatic and Consular Officers, held at Lourenço Marques, February 27–March 2, see the memorandum of April 12 from Assistant Secretary of State McGhee to the Secretary of State, p. 1514;↩