ODA files, lot 62 D 225, “Togoland”
Memorandum of Conversation, by an Adviser of the United States Delegation to the Trusteeship Council (McKay)
- Subject:
- Future Termination of Trusteeship Agreement for British Togoland.
| Participants: | Mr. Daniel Chapman—UN Secretariat | Separately: | ||
| Mr. B. Aleksander—UN Secrt. | ||||
| Mr. Allesani | } | Petitioners from Br. Togoland | Mr. R. T. Miller—UN Secrt. | |
| Mr. Fleku | ||||
| Mr. Mensah | ||||
| Mr. D. V. McKay—USUN | Mr. D. V. McKay—USUN | |||
Mr. Chapman and the three petitioners all emphasized to me that the trusteeship agreement must come to a complete end at the same time that the Gold Coast and British Togoland achieved self-government. Chapman said that it would be quite impossible for Gold Coast Prime Minister Nkrumah to agree to a self-governing Gold Coast becoming an administering authority. Chapman thought that it would not be difficult to terminate the trusteeship agreement at the same time self-government was achieved. It would only involve setting a date in advance and having all the necessary papers drawn up and appproved by the United Kingdom and the United Nations before that date.
Mr. Chapman, an Ewe from the Gold Coast, said that he went home in December to make final arrangements with Nkrumah concerning the new job Chapman is to take in the Gold Coast Government when he leaves the United Nations in April. He is to become Secretary to the new all-African Cabinet when it comes into office. (This is the third Gold Coast job he has been offered during the past year.) Chapman said that it would be a new type of work for him and that he had suggested that perhaps he ought to take some university study of public administration before assuming his new duties. However, he said, the two European officers who are now doing the work had assured him that they could give him the necessary help and training. They are to work for Chapman when he arrives. Chapman said they were very gracious about their new relationship with him.
In a separate conversation with Mr. Aleksander and Mr. Miller of the UN Secretariat, I found that Aleksander opposed the termination of the trusteeship status of British Togoland on the grounds that the inhabitants would be worse off under an independent Gold Coast. He thought that the Gold Coast should become the administering authority in place of the United Kingdom. Miller contended, however, that [Page 1379] the Gold Coast would not agree to becoming an administering authority although he agreed with Aleksander that the inhabitants of British Togoland would be better off under trusteeship.
Aleksander insisted, in any case, that it would be imperative to have a UN sponsored or observed plebiscite in British Togoland on the direct question of whether the trusteeship agreement should be terminated in favor of integration with the Gold Coast. He apparently felt this was necessary for two reasons: (1) because the United Nations would be turning the inhabitants over to a status which would be worse than their previous status; and (2) because the precedent for other trust territories would be too dangerous if there were no plebiscite on the direct question of the termination of the agreement. He contended strongly that a plebiscite was required in order to meet the Charter requirement of determining the “freely expressed wishes” of the peoples concerned.
(Aleksander seemed so emotionally attached to these views that it seems likely he will convey them to like-minded non-administering members of the General Assembly; we should, therefore, be prepared for a proposal for a UN sponsored or observed plebiscite in British Togoland at the appropriate time.)