23 OCTOBER 1964, Page 12

Birth of Zambia I am sorry that the emergence of

Northern Rhodesia into independent Zambia should have been marred by the 'Chartered' incident, and I am sadder still not to be there for the celebrations. But like other crises the Chartered affair will probably find a solution. In the past we have looked to other model States in Africa—to Nigeria or Tanganyika—to set the pattern of a developing democracy, and things have sometimes gone wrong and people have been hurt, though not, I think, irreparably. Zambia more than most could be seen in this way, and its economic prospects are relatively bright. But its geography puts it inevitably in a position to be in the forefront of the struggle against the South. So far Dr. Kaunda has tempered his pan-Africanism and devotion to the cause with moderation, but the direct effects of the struggle, with its temptations for extremists, could be more on Zambia's internal politics than çni the South. Yet it seems that for a while African news may drop from the headlines, giving way to the regrouping of Europe. So much of the material that is printed is wrong and damaging that some- times I think this may be an advantage--so long as the personal links and the desire to co-operate are maintained.