1958-11-15 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, ́ ́SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1958.

REPORTING FROM AFRICA'S NEWEST REPUBLIC IN

So my ballet friend

The newest nation in the world # Gütnes, a land of 3,000,000 people on the west co201 of Africa. Once it was part of the French empire. Then it voted "No" in the referendum on de Gaulle's Con stitution. Abruptly tha ties with France were cut,

What is its ilko today in Quinoa? Can It survive as a patlon? Hara

the first report by o British observer.

THEY told me it was

no use trying to see the new Government in Conakry. I had flown out to the capital of the new republic to do just that. So I ordered a glass of iced beer and waited in the bar of the Hotel de France until the flight from Paris and Dakar had worn off.

It was hot and wel. The rainy season Is just ending and the sun comes out, like an electric Bre after a four-hour burst of ralu. Then, more rain.

NON-COMMITTAL

After a few hours of waliing I got up from the bar and set off hopefully along the Boulevard du Gouvernement.

That, 1 told myself, was where you would expect to find a Cabinet Minister or two.

I followed a Soussou girl at a discreet and non-committal distance they walk about naked from the waist up until she disappeared into the Ministry of Health.

I was passing an off-white palace when a tall African bounded out and set off energetically along my pavement; he passed me at a loping run in spite of the

sun

I stopped him. He beamed

at me in pleased surprise and

we shook hands,

WELL-DRILLED

Fedeba founded Keita

the Guinen Ballet Company f-ty years ago: he welder the three

Soussou, tribes the

The Malinke, and the

well-drilled one

Fulani-inio

source

of

nalive dancers and took them

on

tour,

The last time I had neen him was in Paris in 1958.

What are you doing here?"

I asked him politely "You starting a National Theatre in Conakry?"

Fudeba had never been an admirer of the French Ad

ministration.

is in the

Cabinet now

Martic

by ROY MACGREGOR-HASTIE

Prime

"There aren't Though t†111 When the

Minister too and go over to Los Island cated Africans 10 Tun the spoke the black guard jammed to see the bauxite plant. Government," he said. "We're the door shut.

It was impressive, efficient. having to take

iut On a

Seknu Tourre said he hoped of

Highlight of Friday afternoon farmer French civil servants to the new republic would was a party. Fodeba and I drank keep things going, but the be able Lo balance

ballet. its native beer and talked Cabluer's got to be African. So books;

could not Both of these intoxicate ne, and they hope for an elastic demand for by sundown 1 was anxious bananas; that they would have help.

I'm in it."

I walked with him through Che town to the radio station.

in one of the two microscopic oilers Fodeba introduced me to

that

to depend on the exploitation of

to

ΠΟ

had The new repubile the vast deposits of bauxite up stamps, no ling, and no national anthem. 1 scribbled a bit of country.

On the island of Los (Robert blank verse in ungrammatical Diop, the Minister of Informa. Louis Stevenson's Treasure French (the official language of tion; fortnight ago he had faludy even the experimental the Government), but been chief technieten at Radio bruxite project had made

Conniry. But times were profit.

changing.

2

L asked the Minister of Information if he could get me

to see the Prime Minister,

saki he would try.

that

Next day

He

Dlop rang me to invite me to a Cabinet meeting. children, had never been to » Cabinet meeting before. But this was Her first ten.

He liked to point out they had, bulit only one school

150,000 for every one hospital for the whole

with country

Its 3,000,000 Africans splendid blocks of

with Ants for themselves native housing scheme as an afterthought,

only

But worst of all, they had "forgotten" to build a theatre for the Guines Ballet.

THEIR FIRST

Fodeba drew himself up

+

to

›

SO SORRY.....

couldn't

think of a tune to go with it.

I gave up the idea of com- posing a national anthem and suggested a colour scheme for a Ang Instead. Two of bananas was and one at bauxite. Two yellow Sokou Tourre said he Surry the French trad been strips with an orange one In 'the piqued at the Guinea NON to middle.

Fodeba pointed out that the Constitution; sorry, too, that they had cut off financial bananas qidn't get yellow

reached old and withdrawn

their they technicians.

market, so I changed the design He was and the British and to two green and one orange, He Round table in a pure white Canadian aluminium, companies said they would consider it in bulding opposite Fudeba's ad invested money in the Ministry they sut, each with a bauxite project at sheet of blotting paper and a hoped they would stay on: he There were no penells would guarantee the security of the Minister of Eudcation sunt their capital investment,

.

out for some.

silk.

Frls and

11 was u short speech, mostly about money.

an

ROUND-UP

AIRLINE'S COURSE

TWO 17-your-old members of British European Airways are

Having an expenses-paid "holiday" in the wilds of mountainous + Cumberland, in Eskdale this month. They are the Aral entrants fer the airline's experimental. "outward bound" course. A spokesman ould, "It is designed to develop their character, Intilative, self-re- liance and leadership. During the first two weeks of the course the boys will be trained in some mountaineering. By the third and fourth weeks they will be ready to sent on lang exercises in the mountains. The purpose of this is not to train mountaineers or even to inspire boya with the love of mountaincering. The whole process is to build up the ability to live in and to deal with difficult and dangerous environment."

CIVIC CENTRE

CIVIC Centre in Buckinghamshire, at on estimated cost of £1,750,000 hos heen approved by Amershamn Council. It la the biggest venture they have ever undertaken. It is expected that the cost will be shared by Amersham Couneli, the Buckingham- ahire County Council, and commercial undertakinga. Projects in- clude a library, police station, sub-offices for planning, health, wel- face and education and magistrates and county courts and a Council chamber. Under the heading of "commercial" are offices, restaurant, shops, nate garages, car park,

PIANO PLAYING

1

NEW world non-stop plano playing record is claimed by Mrs Mario Ashton, 40, of Stretford, Manchester, Mrs Ashton, housewife who weighs 17 stone and is the mother of two daughters, played the piano for 133 hours without a break in a hall at Mans- feld, Nottinghamshire. The previous world record of 139 hours was held by a German. Mrs Ashton exceeded her own longest continual performance by five hours,

DUTCH CANNON BALL

CANNON ball found by schoolboys on the shore at Upnor on the River Medway has been identified as one fired by the Hutch Fleet when they sailed up the Medway to Rochester in 1073. It has been handed to Rochester, Museum.

TÄRGET

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many

Hands of

tuur lettera or more cal you make from the letters in the square on the left in making each word, the letters in

cach of the small squares may be used once only. Each word msiet contain the large letter in the centre square, and there must be at trast one oint-letter word in the 1st. No pittrats, no foreign words; op' proper

ramck TODAY TARGET + 2 words good: 28 words, very good ; 37 words, execellent. TESTOW.

Volation

ADATIE BOLUTION: Adder address

dar dranḍ Fused Trend AO MITI

dare dered dead dour ded

drets

zund

need

drsand eased wed

vießen" rends

seeded sweder.

addr

CROSSWORD

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tlil

overseas

Acros

1. fapy glant (anag.). (9) 8. Anger. (3)

By Saturday evening there nothing left to do. AL lunch-time we had ail gone to

WIN

a reception at Fodeba's house to say goodbye. "You are a good friend to Guinea," sald the Minister of

#

*

I sat next to Sekou Tourre, The Prime Minister. He wan I asked him if he would put Finance

I suppose that was wearing while robes down to his Guinea nto the Sterling Area, because the hotel cost me £10 whiles and a leopard skin cap, either by applying for admission a day. his full height. He was wearing (He wears sults in the street.) now, or by federating Guinea ☐ tle.

The other Ministers were wear with Ghaña, Togo Dahomey "I am the

Minister of the ing durk lounge sults and Les; and Nigeria (all independent by Interior and State Security," they have all worn ties since 1960). he said with immense dlgalty. Independence Day.

I had never thought of Fodeba as a man with a political future. A singer, a dancer, but not a now Nationalist Minister. I said nя much,

On my way back to London I went to the Elephant. Noir in

He sold he would think about Paris--the night club kept by Sekou Tourre is very tall and it.

the Guinca community there, I olim, only 30 He Ls DE The meeting ended at mid- had a glass of native beer and a Nkrumah's rival in the admira- day and I was able to borrow plate of Soussou rice and fish. tion of the African and a good the mayor's launch--the Prime One of the Prima Minister's deal better looking.

Minister is Mayor of Conakry, family was serving at the bar.

11. Water for batterion. (a)

12. Vonorable man. (1)

13. Comes in again, (8)

16. Hato. (4)

17. Bay you will do. (p1

tė, Duce wed by physicians, (B) 10. Tonand. (B)

40. Welsh place name, (4)

Down

Downy low. (B~B)

2 Dirk (312. Before 11"

Made a notat like a bird.

5. Not healthy, (3)

6. Traiana. (41)

Nocesel,

IMPRO

8. Dodge*. (CARET

(4-3)

sa. Improved. DEN

(6) 14. Straten of

river. (6) KAI

15. Formerly. EN

7SA

•回树手

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