EVOLVING AFRICA
But it is the relation of the white population of Kenya to the Government of the colony that arouses most apprehension at the moment. The indignation of the settlers at what they regard as the dilatoriness and inadequacy of the Government's action in many departments is intelligible. With all the differences between the situation in Kenya and the situation in Malaya many of the resemblances are striking, and the effect in the Asian dependency of the appointment of a High Commissioner with the powers and the personality of Sir Gerald Templer is striking. At last, this week, it is announced that an experienced soldier, Major-General Hinde, who was formerly British Commandant in Berlin, has been appointed as personal staff officer to the Governor of Kenya, charged with the planning and control of steps for the restoration and order. This is a large commission, covering no doubt the co-ordination of troops, like the Lancashire Fusiliers, the police, European commandos, the Kikuyu Home Guard and other bodies engaged in different localities and various ways in defence against, and the elimina- tion of, the Mau Mau terror. This is so much to the good, though such a step was proposed by the elected members months ago. So is the creation of an Emergency Council including all racial groups in the colony to advise the Governor on emergency measures. What is not at all to the good is the resort by the settlers, or a section of settlers, to the kind of mob demonstration organised outside Government House at Nairobi on Monday. It is necessary, of course, to discriminate. There is a responsible element among the settlers and an irresponsible element. The former includes most of the elected members of the Legislatiye Assembly, with Mr. Michael Blundell at their head. He has shown wise restraint throughout the emergency, and the attention paid to his speeches is a tribute to his influence in the white community. But there is a section of whites who frankly believe in lynch law. There is sufficient provocation to excuse the impulse, but to yield to it would be fatal to relations between the races. None the less it is of capital importance that trial should in all cases follow quickly on arrest, and punishment no less quickly on conviction.
Not till order and security have been restored in Kenya will the lines of the future development of the colony be clearly foreseen. There is something, though less, of the same uncertainty in regard to other African colonies.. They are in different stages of development, with few if any of them on a fixed and stable basis yet. The Gold Coast has travelled furthest towards full self-government, and the account given of its progress by Lord Hemingford on another page of this issue is wholly encouraging. Dr. Nkrumah, not so long ago an imprisoned insurgent and now displaying much wisdom and statesmanship as Prime Minister, is combining with a particu- larly able and far-sighted Governor, Sir Charles Arden-Clarke, _ to make the Government both efficient and popular. Here, as everywhere, the tendency is no doubt always to go a little too fast. Dr. Nkrumah is at present visiting the neighbouring State of Liberia, independent, but owing almost its very existence to an American tyre firm, and the fact has given rise to rather irresponsible talk of a Union of West Africa, which on the face of it would hardly be compatible with the idea of the com- plete autonomy of the Gold Coast'within the Commonwealth. Further east Nigeria has just completed its first year under a unique semi-federal constitution with considerable success, though at the moment Dr. Azikiwe, the nationalist leader, whose influence has waned surprisingly under the new constitution, is making rather disturbing efforts to re-establish himself. Here too a colony is in the ferment of development, and while there is some cause for anxiety there is more for encouragement. In West Africa racial problems arc much less intrusive than in East. That is a great advantage.
