Department of State Committee files, lot 54 D 5, “Working Group on Colonial Problems”
Memorandum by Nicholas Feld of the Office of African Affairs to the Working Group on Colonial Problems1
Except for the two cases of Morocco and Tunisia, the dilemma facing American foreign policy in regard to colonialism is not yet very acute in Africa.2 The dilemma is posed by the necessity of weighing the relatively short-term security considerations resulting from the cold war between East and West against the longer-term policy of encouraging the orderly transition from colonial status to responsible self government wherever possible. Contrary to what may be the general impression, the United States is not faced with this dilemma to any appreciable extent in Libya, Eritrea, the United Nations Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration and South [Page 1148] West Africa, all of which are areas in which the United Nations has taken or is taking action relative to their political status. Except for South West Africa the action has already been completed by the United Nations, although the federation of Eritrea with Ethiopia will not be officially consummated until September 11, 1952. In all four cases there is no basic conflict between U.S. security requirements and the present political status of these countries. The South West African case is a juridical and legal problem, without important security aspects. It involves moral issues for the international community of nations but this alone does not make it a matter which constitutes a security problem. The Union of South Africa’s unilateral action in integrating the former League of Nations mandate of South West Africa into the Union, although admittedly a breach of international morality, can hardly be said to represent an example of the type of dilemma posed by Tunisia or Morocco. It is only in the North African areas where base rights and other strategic considerations complicate the picture that the dilemma is sharply posed.