.GREEN BRANCH
The Kenya Government's action in decreeing a general amnesty both for members of Mau Mau and for those loyal Kikuyu guilty of atrocities in their fight against the terronsts is a bold one. It takes no great effort of the imagination to understand the feelings of the settlers who think it shameful that hideous crimes should go unpunished. But it would be more shameful still if the Government failed to do everything in its power to bring this ferocious civil war to an end. Could civilised opinion easily condone, whatever the crimes that have been committed, the execution of thousands? Could it continue to support a policy (or lack of policy rather) which looked as if it might lead, such were the circumstances, to the virtual extinction of an entire tribe? Better by far the single bold stroke which stands at least a fair chance of cutting short the long tale of death and of sweeping away that atmosphere of suspicion, fear, and mistrust in which violence breeds violence endlessly. Everything depends now on the terrorists being convinced of the Government's good faith. As soon as this move shows signs of succeeding the. Government must abolish, or to begin with radically modify, that policy of discrimination against the Kikuyu at large which must have brought Mau Mau many a recruit in recent months.
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