For History & Pride

In the leap of modern history, A.D. 1960 will break records in the building of new nations. Last week four proud nations of empire—Britain, France, Italy and Belgium—benevolently watched old colonies become independent new countries.

¶ Striding out of the Stone Age in a matter of decades, the Belgian Congo's 14 million citizens proclaimed the Republic of Congo, second-largest African state in size and potentially the richest.

¶ To the northwest, the Mali Federation —Senegal and the Sudanese Republic—declared itself free.

¶ On Africa's eastern shoulder, the Somali Republic was born.

¶ The island of Madagascar became the independent Malagasy Republic.

¶ Ghana, already an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth, formally became a republic. CJfCyprus, whose long, bloody rebellion had almost been forgotten as negotiations dragged on, finally reached agreement with Britain, will become an independent nation next month.

It was a record the Western "imperialists" could be proud of, and could proudly match against the record of the Communists, Russian and Chinese alike, who have yet to release any satellite they have ever taken over anywhere.

The flood of new nations was creating new eddies and currents in world affairs.

United Nations officials pointed out that in the next General Assembly, the African-Asian group will be the U.N.'s largest single voting bloc. On Oct. 1, Nigeria, most populous (35 million) of all African states, joins the independence parade. Within two years, the U.N.'s last territories, Tanganyika, Ruanda-Urundi, and the British Cameroons, will get their freedom. Last week Mason Sears, longtime U.S. delegate to the U.N. Trusteeship Council, who has a special interest in Africa, cleaned out his desk and submitted his resignation. "In Africa," he said, "our job is done. It's all over."