General Policies Toward Africa; Reports Of Significant Developments In Africa South Of The Sahara Of Particular Interest To The United States1
1. For previous documentation on these topics, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. v, pp. 1199 ff. For additional documentation, see vol. iii, pp. 1075 ff. Of particular relevance is the documentation on the U.S. attitude on the colonial question and on the underlying issues at the United Nations and diplomatic exchanges between the United States and other administering authorities regarding certain issues, including the status of dependent territories in Africa.
[1] Memorandum of Conversation, by the Officer in Charge of West, Central, and East Africa Affairs (Feld)
811.05170/2–2052
[2] The Ambassador in the Union of South Africa (Gallman) to the Department of State
120.4345A/3–1452: Telegram
[3] The Consul General at Salisbury (Sims) to the Director, Office of African Affairs (Bourgerie)
AF files, lot 58 D 459, “Miscellaneous”
[4] The Ambassador in Liberia (Dudley) to the Department of State
511.70/6–352
[5] The Consul General at Salisbury (Sims) to the Officer in Charge of West, Central, and East Africa Affairs (Feld)
AF files, lot 58 D 459, “Miscellaneous”
[6] The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the Union of South Africa
120.4345A/4–1852: Airgram
[7] Memorandum of Conversation, by John W. McBride of the Office of African Affairs
870.00/8–2152
[9] Memorandum of Conversation, by David E. Longanecker of the Office of African Affairs
700.5 MSP/12–352
[10] The Consul General at Leopoldville (Mallon) to the Department of State
870.411/1–1953
[11] Memorandum Prepared by the Officer in Charge of West, Central, and East Africa Affairs (Feld)
AF files, lot 58 D 549, “Memoranda 1953”
[12] Memorandum by Douglas B. Smith of the Investment and Economic Development Staff to the Officer in Charge of West, Central, and East Africa Affairs (Feld)
AF files, lot 58 D 459, “Memoranda 1953”
[16] International President, Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (Randolph) to President Eisenhower
770.00/6–1753
[17] The Second Secretary of the Embassy in the United Kingdom (Tibbetts) to the Department of State
870.00/7–1653
[18] Memorandum Prepared by the Officer in Charge of West, Central, and East Africa Affairs (Feld)
AF files, lot 58 D 459, “Memoranda 1953”
[19] Memorandum by the Director, Office of African Affairs (Utter), to the Chief of Protocol (Simmons)
AF files, lot 58 D 459, “Memoranda 1953”
[20] Memorandum by the Director, Office of African Affairs (Utter) to the Deputy Executive Director, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Moore)
AF files, lot 58 D 459, “Memoranda 1953”
[21] Address by the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Byroade), October 31, 1953
Source: This address was made before the World Affairs Council of Northern California at Asilomar, California. The text printed here is as released to the press on Oct. 30 as Department of State Press Release 605 and as printed in Department of State Bulletin, Nov. 16, 1953, p. 655.
No documentation on the preparation of this address has been identified, and only a few scattered papers on reactions to the address are included in file 110.15 BY. One of these is a letter of Nov. 9, 1953 from Senator Guy M. Gillette of Iowa, member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, to Assistant Secretary Byroade which expressed concern that certain news accounts of the address indicated some change in U.S. policy toward colonialism and traditional support of the “principle of self-determination for people everywhere” for the sake of the “interests or wishes of an imperial power”. (110.15 BY/11–953) In a brief reply to Senator Gillette on Nov. 13, Byroade sought to explain the intent of his address:
“What I tried to do, essentially, was to reaffirm the basic traditions of the United States toward dependent people. I sought to make clear the fact that there was no easy answer when one seeks to apply these principles to concrete problems. It was with that thought in mind that I quoted Justice Holmes about the danger of applying generalizations to specific cases. In dealing with North Africa, I tried to state clearly and fairly the fact that this area poses a particularly difficult problem for us. The quotation which was brought to your attention refers to some—but not all—of the elements of the situation.
“I am enclosing a copy of the full speech in case you wish to glance over it. Incidentally, the reactions from overseas have so far been most sympathetic.” (110.15 BY/11–953)
[22] The Director, Office of Transportation and Communications Policy (Barringer) to the Director, Bureau of Air Operations, Civil Aeronautics Board (Fitzgerald)
911.5270/11–2053
[23] The Consul at Accra (Cole) to the Department of State
745G.00/11–2753
[24] The Consul at Accra (Cole) to the Department of State
745F.00/12–853: Telegram
[26] The Consul at Dakar (Ferguson) to the Department of State
751T.00/12–1853
[28] The British Ambassador (Makins) to the Secretary of State
770.5/1–1854
[29] Memorandum of Conversation, by the Minister-Counselor at the Embassy in India (Mills)
870.411/2–2354
[30] The Counselor of the Embassy in France (Joyce) to the Department of State
770.5/2–1854