FEDERATION IN AFRICA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26986, 11 March 1953, Page 10

FEDERATION IN AFRICA

“SCHEME MUST NOT BE DELAYED’’ (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, March 9. The Colonial Secretary (Mr Oliver Lyttelton), in a broadcast, said that i£ the Central African federation scheme were delayed or failed now, “it would be a triumph, paradoxically enough, for a small number of extremists among both Africans and Europeans.’’ He added: “Europeans who believe in segregating the races and leaving the white man as the sole ruler would be encouraged to pursue this idea by the failure of the federation. African extremists, who believe the government of these territories should be only by Africans, would claim they had diverted the white man from his purpose.

“There is no struggle between black and white. Federation is the way of progress. History will condemn us if, from political cowardice or expediency. we turn aside when duty so clearly points the way. Britain must not fail in her responsibilities toward 70,000,000 people in the colonial territories, of whom 60,000,000 are Africans.

“Without our help, not only is pro--gress unlikely, but there is a real danger that many of the counties will slip back into the darkness from which they have so recently emerged.’’ Mr Lyttelton said that Kenya’s problems could not be settled until the country was at peace. “Many here have not learned you cannot fight men armed with long knives if you yourself are armed only with praiseworthy intentions and finely-balanced constitutional instruments. But in suppressing the terror we must not lose sight of the distant goal. We must inflict as few wounds and leave as few scars as we can.’’