BOOK REVIEW

Confused novel on Ghana

THE NEW ANCESTORS by Dave Godfrey, New Press, Toronto. $10. Cloth only.

A vastly overrated book which purports in novel form to in- troduce us to Lost Coast (cover name for Ghana) — but in fact succeeds in confusing readers and distorting the complex of circumstances which led to the imperialist-backed military coup that overthrew Kwame Nkru- mah in 1966.

An author of undoubted tal- ents, Godfrey, who- may have started with an original sympa- thetic purpose of setting out the characteristics of the new rising younger generation of black Africans, winds up incapable of differentiating between those seeking to change the face of Africa and those who want to impose new forms of colonialism on newly-independent regimes.

Ghana’s story is torn out of the context of African politics as a whole. British colonialism, Marxism, US: imperialism, careerists, militant fighters for Nkrumah’s reform policies, ult- ra-“left’”” elements — good guys and bad guys — are thrown to- gether in one big swirling mix of episodes, flash-backs, sensuality, African dialect and moralizing, until the reader is left with the total impression of defeat and insurmountable odds _ against which man — today’s African man — The New Ancestors, is powerless.

The spirit of ‘“abrado” — Af- rica tribal goodness has been perverted by the foreign pre- sence no matter what its origin: be it the colonialism of Britain, the CIA, U.S. imperial- ism or the helping fraternal hand of the socialist world.

The author’s philosophy ap- pears to be that evil is inherent in the nature of man — instead of in the outworn insitutions and class society that oppresses him.

_This approach leads to foggy

estimations. For example the gross and merciless caricature of Nkrumah and his militant followers; the incapacity to examine the concrete struggle of forces in Ghana; the equation put between imperialism and the international role played by the socialist world.

The author who has made something of a reputation for himself in condemning U.S. policy at home and abroad and the “Americanization” of reader and author alike in Canada, is himself a clear victim of the very influences he denounces. His politics in his novel is bor- rowed wholesale from Time and Life and their canned ver- sion of African realities.

May we suggest as antidotal reading to readers of The New Ancestors the following—Dark Days in Ghana, Africa Must Unite and Class Struggle in Africa — all written by Kwame Nkrumah, whose record and ac- tivity deserve a much better fate than that accorded him in the above volume. The books listed are all available from Progress Books or your local bookstore.

—George Mills

U.S. finds lots of

money for war

The--Us: spends annually $3,200 million on the mainten- ance of its forces in Western Europe, and $14,000 million on NATO. In 1965-71 it put $120,- 000 million into the Indochina gamble. :

The White House has planned military spending in this fiscal year at $80,000 million, $3,000 million more than in the last.

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the shop below.

$15 in cash.

Fascist vandals stroy Lenin books

Pictured here is the upstairs bathroom in the BOOKWORLD, Toronto progressive book. store, where on the night of Sept. 10-11 vandals destroyed over 500 volumes of Lenin’s works. Mrs. Maggie Bizzell, manager of the BOOKWORLD, reported the vandals moved the store’s entire 600-700 Lenin volumes into the bathroom from a stockroom. Using great force and obviously taking much time for their filthy work, they pressed as many of the Lenin volumes as they could into the bath tub, the toilet bow! and two wash basins. The rest of the volumes were strewn over the bathroom floor. All water taps were then © turned on and left running. Nearly all of the Lenin volumes were completely ruined. In addition, the water did great dam- age to one whole wall of books and important periodicals in

“As far as we've ascertained,” Mrs. Bizzell said, “the criminals touched no books other than the Lenin volumes.” She said they had forced open the cash register and stole

7

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1971—PAGE 10

Boe

BERLIN — The agreement signed by ambassadors of the USSR, USA, Britain and France on the status of West Berlin opens the door to greater inter- national cooperation.

The 12 main points of this historic agreement are:

e The four governments will strive to promote the elimina- tion of tension and the preven- tion of complications “in the relevant area.”

e They agree that there shall be no threat or use of force in the area and that disputes shall be settled by peaceful means.

e The four governments will mutually respect their individual and joint rights which remain unchanged. :

e They further agree that des- pite the difference in their legal views, the situation which has developed in the area shall not be changed unilaterally.

e The Soviet Union declares that road, rail and, waterborne traffic of goods and persons be- tween West Germany and West Berlin will be “unimpeded and facilitated so as to take place in the most simple and expeditious manner and that it will receive preferential treatment.”

e The three Western allies de- clare that the ties between West Germany and West Berlin will be “maintained and ‘developed.” At the same time they declare that West Berlin is not a con- stituent part of West Germany and is not governed by West Germany.

e The Soviet Union declares that communications between West Berlin and East Berlin as well as the German Democratic Republic will be improved. West Berliners will be allowed to tra- vel in the GDR under ‘‘compar- able conditions to other per- sons.”

e West Germany will be the consular protecting power for West Berliners travelling in the Soviet Union. It will also repre- sent West Berlin internationally.

e The Soviet Union will be permitted to establish a consul- ate general in West Berlin ac-

| Credited to the Western allies,

also a trade office and bonded warehouses.

e Transit traffic to and from Berlin will not be subject to in- spection if sealed before depar- ture. Individual travellers will only have to produce identity cards at the East German border and will not be subject to search, detention or exclusion. (The only exception is where abuse is suspected, if the com-

petent German _ authorities agree.) e@ West German legislation

will continue to apply to West Berlin. But the West German parliament will not be allowed to meet there. However the West German president, the government, parliamentary par- ties and parliamentary commit- tee may meet in the city provid- ed no constitutional or official acts are carried out exercising direct authority over West Ber- lin.

e The problem of the small enclaves on the borders of West Berlin may be solved by ex- change of territory.

The agreement also has sev- eral annexes, notes, agreed min- utes and a “final quadripartite protocol” giving details of the various arrangements negotiat- ed by the big four power am- bassadors.

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An internati

onal meeting of young activists of the and Red Crescent Societies was held in “Zorka” Yound, camp near Moscow. Representatives of more than 35 coun Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America participated. Above, General Secretary of the World Federation © and Red Crescent Societies Mr. H. Beer (left) and Direct? International Youth Red Cross Mr. J. Kirschhofer (extreme shown being presented with the bread and salt of hospitality:

Wer ped Ct f a

5 i:

Sudan reaction rage] executioners are bull]

By CHRIS BRYANT

Sudan’s military dictator Gen. Nimeiry will next week stage a trial of six members of the Su- danese Communist Party cen- tral committee, according to in- formation from Khartoum.

Among the six are Hassan Gasmelseid, president of the General Trade Union Council, Salah Mazari, a member of the political bureau of the Com- munist Party and up to his jail- ing in February by Nimeiry per-

“manent under secretary at the

Ministry of Housing, Mrs. Soad Ibrahim Ahmed, a lecturer at Khartoum University.

Eight members of the Com- munist Party have sought asy- lum in neighboring Ethiopia and it is feared that Emperer Haile Selassie will hand them over after trying them for illegal en- try.

He may try to strike a bar- gain, hoping to exchange them for Eritrean revolutionaries tak- ing refuge in the Sudan.

Prisoners beaten

Among this eight are El Taleb Abu Gideiry, former councillor in the Attorney-General’s Office, and Dr. Mohammed Suleiman, a lecturer at the Higher Institute for Teachers.

Nimeiry told United Nations Secretary-General U Thant re- cently that all trials were fair and treatment of prisoners was fair. The lie to that is given by information coming from the Sudan revealing what Nimeiry has done to those who have fallen into his hands.

soldiers who were Sb0! ij Uy

are ©

i ities j Prison authori ly one

ing the detainees on a day, consisting © “160 piece of bread and one rts | water. In the scorching gif) the Sudan this is equi” | slow murder. rel! When detainees wena the Shagara concentra” iy run by the Army, badly beaten. us El Sheikh and DF gid Khogali, president of ©” a Medical Association, ® ed 1 for 20 years, were fore: jit tend the executions © oi) Col. Babker E] Nur, Mali, Al oy

uk Handalla, and Majo Al-Atta, the leaders Of 19 revolution. : _ Without trial LA q Nimeiry ordered the” tend a mass execullOr squads without any ay ‘ verdict depending a isi | Nimeiry’s personal d foo! i Sheikh was denied any pe! drink for the three 3 j he was hanged. 7 A decision has peen of the Army leadershiP wil, munists and democté’ it executed without tr i i the Army can avoi stony public and internation’, of

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tte

The central committe

Communist Party 4 4 has elected Mohami vy oy Nugud general sects of oe

ing Nimeiry’s murce® gal!

Khalig Mahgoub.

j dan. met in the Su iY ed