University Daily Kansan Friday, Dec. 12, 1952
by Dick Bibler
Kenya Nationalism Erupts Spilling Explosive Mixture
A roaring, spitting volcano has erupted in Africa, spewing hate, violence, and death.
The volcano is Kenya, richest of the British East African colonies. Spilling out in the eruption is a hot explosive mixture of nationalism, discrimination, superstition, and resentment—with a pinch of Communist propaganda to fan the flames.
Directly, rebellions and slaughters have been caused by the Kikuyus, Kenya's largest native tribe, which has campaigned since 1945 for more political power.
Terrorist activities of the tribe—including slaughter raids with panga (machete) knives—the work of the Mau Mau, a secret tribal society chief seeking to drive some 15,000 British from their 12,000-square-mile "White Highlands." Comparatively, about a million Kikuyus are crowded into a 2,000-square-mile reserve.
Britain obtained Kenya at the end of the nineteenth century, when it, as well as other European powers, was waging a race for African possessions. The British stamped out intertribal warfare and slavery, reduced a gigantic death rate from tropical diseases, and built a 600-mile railroad to relieve paralyzed transportation conditions.
The British, in general a mixture of large-scale farmers and retired upper class, fail to understand the desire for land of the Kikuyus. The whites employ about a half million native Negroes. Other Kikuyu demands are for more land, higher wages and better education, and votes for all Negroes who pass a literary and property test.
The British dominate Kenya politics, possess the best land, and are reluctant to share it. Indians control commerce and retail trade, but are politically powerless. Africans, who outnumber Europeans about 160 to 1, have no political power.
From this seething tri-racial setup outbreaks began in October. The Mau Mau instigated a series of bloody raids into the British sector.
British retaliation came fast. Thousands of Kikuyus were arrested. Native schools operated by Jomo (Burning Spear) Kenyetta, the uncertained king of Kikuyu, were closed down, and Kenyetta was imprisoned.
The British, deciding to fight suppression with superstition, used a "Wizard of Oz," a witch doctor, to try and cleanse native laborers of oaths they had taken to support the anti-white movement.
Violence continued. The British Colonial office, trustee for Kenya's millions, rushed more troops to the scene, while authorizing local administration to suspend civil rights, make mass arrests, and use collective punishment.
A possible solution is an $18.9 million development program outlined by Sir Evelyn Baring, governor, to include housing, welfare, hospital and agriculture projects. But, this has been stalemated by the governor's warning that these improvements could not be carried out until the "atmosphere of unrest" was lifted.
Repression measures apparently aren't the needed solution. Even the British fear that such measures might drive docile Kikuyu into the Mau Mau society.
1. The country would fall into the hands of the Indians—and not the Africans—if the Europeans left. The Indians are much better organized and educated than the Africans, and have a tight grip on all trade.
Kenya Communists, rooted deeply in Indian settlements, have demanded that Europeans clear out, leaving Kenya to the Africans and Indians. But, Britain knows this wouldn't solve the nationalism problem for two reasons:
1. The country would collapse without European-dominated government, foreign trade, and transportation.
The Kenya volcano should continue to fume for some time, and the Communist-backed drive for elimination of the British should bear watching.—Bob Stewart.
Compliments Due To Quill Magazine
About half of the 500 copies of the new Trend magazine have already been sold. The Quill club's little magazine came out only yesterday and already it seems to have taken hold.
For two years the Quill club, a campus literary organization, has not had its own magazine but has helped with another campus publication—Upstream. The new Trend is a revision of a magazine published by the Quill club several years ago.
We would like to compliment the club on the attractiveness of their new publication. A "first" is always difficult to get out and the Quill club seems to have done a very nice job despite that disadvantage.
Considering the inevitable improvements that come with experience, Trend will no doubt become a valuable addition to the campus publications. We hope the early sales are an indication of the club's future success. —Roger Yarrington.
Chest Described As Discriminatory
Letters
To the Editor of the Daily Kansan:
In a previous communication to the editor it was pointed out that the schedule for the distribution of Campus Chest funds was discriminatory. This assertion brought to light a fundamental campus problem which the Kansan has been reluctant to treat editorially or otherwise. In view of the apparent unwillingness of this paper to alter the status quo there remains no alternative but to state the case unequivocally.
This university, through its student body, should not be placed in the precarious position of giving preferential treatment to any sectarian group; therefore, the All Student Council hereby is requested to review this entire situation. In fairness to all concerned, the council has but two alternatives; namely, either to distribute the campus fund to all sectarian organizations or to withhold these funds from all such groups.
All of the funds retained for the use of campus organizations have been allotted to either the YMCA or the YWCA. There seems to be no valid reason for this arrangement.
A check of the 1952-53 student directory reveals that on this campus there are 16 sectarian organizations of one form or another. The YM and the YW constitute just two of these. Whose function is it to decide that two shall have and fourteen shall go without?
Joseph J. Baron Jr. graduate student
What with all the editorial boards and whatnot for the Daily Kansan, our favorite coed thinks someone should read the movie ads before they're printed.
A Daily Kansan classified ad reports a lost Longines wristwatch with no straps and crystal broken. No wonder!
Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 year (add $1 a semester if in Lawrence). Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays and examination periods. Entered second class master Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence Kan., Post Office office of March 3, 1879.
Little Man on Campus
'Oh little town of Bethlehem ...'
'Lame' Period to Slow Paris NATO Session
One of the bulwarks of United States foreign policy is the North Atlantic Treaty organization.
Next week the foreign and defense ministers of the 14 nations banded together for the defense of the North Atlantic and free Europe hold a "Lame Duck" session in Paris.
It is "Lame Duck" in that it falls in the period of changing U.S. administrations, and must postpone important decisions until President-elect Eisenhower and his new government are in a position to participate and make them binding.
However, the Dec. 15 meeting will be of interest because it will receive reports of progress made thus far in building defenses against Communist aggression, and also will set up some signposts for the future.
It will be told for example that the 50-division goal for Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway's European army during 1952 largely has been met—25 in being and 25 in position to be called up within 30-days after the start of any hostilities.
The program for the building of military airfields has been successful, with 126 built or building.
Defense strategy has been revised to include Greece and Turkey.
The U.S. and Britain are in agreement or near it on a compromise solution to their agreement over an Eastern Mediterranean command—British Admiral Lord Louis Mounbatten to receive command of convoy routes but with an American in charge of ground support operations.
NATO forces now are strong enough to provide a "shield" against any Communist attack, although far short of being able to meet any all-out assault by Russia's 175 European divisions.
The United States now apparently shares the generally held European belief that 1954 no longer is the "year of decision" which now may be farther off by a year or more.
By and large, the report on 1952 will be encouraging.
It had been hoped that by the end of 1953 Ridgway's army would have 75 divisions. That figure will be cut back to a probable 63.
As Russia's "peace" offensive accelerates, there are signs that Western Europe will lose a corresponding amount of will to rearm in its own defense. The European nations, led by Britain, are pleading poverty and are pressing for development of new, cheaper weapons rather than mass production of conventional types.
In this they are opposed by the United States which says, despite its leadership in atomic development, that a push-button war still is years away.-United Press.
Short Ones
At the rate "queen" contests are springing up around the campus, there will soon be more royalty here than in England.
GOP papers are pooh-poohing the idea of any Ike-Taft split—simply because Taft has seen fit to criticize the General's taste in cabinet personnel. They are annoyed, however, at having to defend their idol before he even gets into office.
A campus political wheel recently accused the Daily Kansan of printing news stories without facts. He's right. The paper does quote him frequently.