Editorial Note

In an address made before the Foreign Policy Association at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on May 8 Assistant Secretary of State McGhee outlined United States interests and policies in Africa. He pointed out that communism had made no significant inroad into Africa, but that advantage had to be taken of the absence of pressure to further the development within Africa of healthy political, economic, and social institutions. Assistant Secretary McGhee observed that current and future American policy toward Africa, although characterized by a significant absence of an informed public opinion, was based upon certain positive basic attitudes on the part of the American people: the general humanitarian interest of the American people in assisting underprivileged peoples everywhere, a great faith in the application of technology as a means of achieving basic progress, and a general background of sympathy toward aspirations for self-government and independence. He conceded that United States policy toward Africa was affected in an important way by the attitude [Page 1541] of European powers toward the United States, which was at the same time friendly, critical, and suspicious, and he drew attention to fears of European powers of an apparent American tendency to give indiscriminate and uncritical support to movements toward self-government or independence without adequate consideration of the experience and resources of the peoples concerned. Assistant Secretary McGhee outlined the objectives of United States policy toward Africa generally as follows: (1) the progressive development of the dependent peoples of Africa toward the goal of self-government or, where conditions were suitable, toward independence; (2) the development of mutually advantageous economic relations between the European powers and the peoples of Africa, in the interests of contributing to the restoration of a sound European economy and in the interests of furthering the aspirations of the African peoples; (3) the preservation of United States rights of equal economic treatment in the territories of Africa and United States participation, both commercial and financial, in the development of Africa; (4) the establishment of an environment in which the African peoples would feel that their aspirations could best be served by continued association and cooperation with the “nations of the free world” and in accordance with the United Nations Charter. Assistant Secretary McGhee pointed out that United States objectives in Africa could be promoted through the Economic Cooperation Administration, through the American information and educational exchange program, and through the proposed Point IV Program for technical assistance.

The text of Assistant Secretary’s McGhee’s address, made public as Press Release No. 469, was transmitted to 24 missions and consulates in Africa under cover of a circular instruction of May 18. A slightly revised text was subsequently published as an article by Assistant Secretary McGhee entitled “United States Interests in Africa”, appearing in the Department of State Bulletin, June 19, 1950, pages 999–1003.