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  4. Document 28

770.5/1–1854

The British Ambassador (Makins) to the Secretary of State

confidential
No. 10

Ref:

  • 1198/2/54

Sir: Her Majesty’s Ambassador for the United Kingdom presents his compliments to the Secretary of State and has the honour to recall that a conference, which was held at Nairobi on the initiative of the Governments of the United Kingdom and South Africa in August 19511 completed a study of facilities for the movement of troops and military supplies on the lines of communication between the south of Africa and the Middle East in the event of the security of the African Continent being threatened. In order to complete this study the United Kingdom and French Governments believe that it would be of value to hold a second conference to cover the western territories of Africa, south of the Sahara, which were not included on that occasion, with particular reference to lines of communication “South-North and West-East”. In this connexion it is necessary to include certain territories again which were in the area covered by the Nairobi Conference, in view of their importance for these routes. The area to be covered would include:—

  • Angola
  • French Equatorial Africa
  • French West Africa
  • Cameroons under British trusteeship
  • Cameroons under French trusteeship
  • Belgian Congo
  • Gold Coast
  • Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
  • Gambia
  • Portuguese Guinea
  • Cape Verde Islands
  • Islands of Principe and Sao Thome
  • Liberia
  • Nigeria
  • Sierra Leone
  • Togoland under British trusteeship
  • Togoland under French trusteeship
  • Union of South Africa.

[Page 90a] [Page [90b]] [Page 91]

The United Kingdom and French Governments have therefore decided jointly to convene a conference of the interested African powers to be held at Dakar on March 1, 1954.2

The United Kingdom and French Governments have considered the problems involved and have prepared the attached list of subjects which they propose should form the agenda of the conference. The agenda is further explained in the accompanying memorandum.3 As will be seen most of the subjects listed are predominantly technical and such as to give rise to problems largely of a practical nature, which will be of equal interest to the civil and military authorities of the governments and administrations concerned.

The Governments of the United Kingdom and France therefore hope that the United States Government will be willing to send an observer to this conference which will do for West Africa what the Nairobi Conference accomplished for Central and Eastern Africa thus making a further contribution to the security of the African Continent and marking the continued co-operation between the African powers. The United Kingdom and French Governments on this occasion intend their delegations to be led by officials. As at Nairobi, they will include in their delegations technical experts and officials from certain of the various territories concerned. If the United States Government agree to send an observer, the United Kingdom and French Governments would be glad to be informed as soon as possible in order to enable accommodation arrangements to be made in good time.

The Governments of the United Kingdom and France are sending joint invitations to the Governments of Belgium, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Liberia, Portugal and the Union of South Africa.4

Washington, January 18, 1954.
  1. For a summary account of the African Defence Facilities Conference held at Nairobi, Aug. 21–31, 1951, see the editorial note and telegram 14, Aug. 25, 1951, from Nairobi, Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. v, pp. 1227 and 1228.↩
  2. The Department of State was informed in early February 1954 that the conference had been postponed until Mar. 11 in order to allow more time for preparation.↩
  3. The memorandum under reference was not found attached to the source text, and no other copy has been found in Department of State files.↩

  4. An identical note (in French) was presented by the French Embassy on Jan. 19, 1954.

    In identical notes of Mar. 5, the Acting Secretary of State accepted the invitation for American representation at the forthcoming African Defence Facilities Conference. The following individuals were designated as the official observers of the United States:

    • Brig. Gen. John P. Doyle, Air Force
    • Col. Edward L. Rehmann, Army
    • Lt. Col. Ronald D. Bagley, Air Force
    • Lt. Col. Cecil C. Snoddy, Army
    • C. Vaughn Ferguson, American Consul, Dakar. (770.5/1–1854)

    ↩