海角大神

Originally published Wednesday, March 6, 1957.

聽聽聽聽 For hours the crowds had seethed excitedly outside Parliament. Inside as the hands of the clock drew near midnight, Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah tied up the final business of the Gold Coast in a speech to his legislators.
聽聽聽 At the moment of midnight the clamor of hooters and sirens blended with a great roar from the mob. In a rush and a flurry Dr. Nkrumah was whisked bobbing on the shoulders of his supporters to a platform among his people. On his head was his white cap embroidered with the initials P.G. for "prison graduate," commemorating his sentence by the British for sedition.
聽聽聽 Then came that incredible moment when, with face glistening with tears and sweat under the photographers' floodlamps, weeping quietly with emotion, he called for the national anthem of the new nation whose freedom was at last fulfilled.

Parliament Meets

聽聽聽 In this manner in the early hours of March 6 was born the new independent state of Ghana, first African member of the British Commonwealth.
聽聽聽 This was not only Dr. Nkrumah's hour, though. It was also the hour of Great Britain to whose initiative in developing Ghana from primitive jungle Dr. Nkrumah paid tribute at this time.
聽聽聽 Thus another British colony had come to full independence. And just a few hours later Communist delegations for whom no such similar freedom from Soviet domination looms saw Prime Minister Nkrumah, now in complete charge of his own country, drive back to the Parliament building to attend the first meeting of the new Ghana national Parliament.
聽 [The Associated Press reports: President Eisenhower saluted the government and people of Ghana March 5 and the State Department officially announced United States recognition of the new African state.]
聽聽聽 Pledging himself anew to the British Commonwealth link, Dr. Nkrumah told his guests that Britain had recognized the realities of the situation in his country and accordingly, 鈥渋nstead of that feeling of bitterness which is often born of a colonial struggle we enter our independence in association with Britain and with, good relations unimpaired."
聽聽聽 One of the main questions stemming from Ghana鈥檚 independence is,' 鈥淐an its African peoples so new to Western civilization make it work?鈥� Dr. Nkrumah showed himself well aware of the implications surrounding this issue when he said 鈥渙ur most important contribution to the movement for the independence of colonial people will be the force of our example."

Future Watched Closely

聽聽聽 鈥淚f we can make a success of our endeavors it will be demonstrated that a former tropical African colonial territory is as capable of conducting its own affairs as any country. But if we fail, showing ourselves disunited, inefficient, or corrupt, then we shall have gravely harmed all those millions in Africa who look to us.鈥�
聽聽聽 Many problems face Ghana but this awareness that the world is watching its progress and Dr. Nkrumah鈥檚 tremendous pride in showing that his people can govern efficiently are perhaps the strongest factors diminishing any chance of failure.
聽聽聽 Addressing the last meeting of the Gold Coast legislative assembly before midnight, Dr. Nkrumah set out some of the policies which his government is to follow. Against a background of calypsos and music from the crowds dancing and waiting outside, he announced that he would himself assume the ministerial portfolios of defense and external affairs.
聽聽聽 Ghana, he said, would remain within the Commonwealth as long as the Commonwealth stood by democratic and peaceful solution of its common problems. His government would not be aligned with any particular group of powers or bloc, but on the other hand it did not intend to become neutralist but to preserve its independence to act as it seemed best at any particular time.

UN Membership Sought

聽聽聽 Ghana hoped to join the United Nations and would welcome foreign investment. In order to attract foreign capital, Ghana must reconsider the whole of its commercial and company law and fiscal policy generally to avoid penalizing foreign investors under the current taxation system.
聽聽聽 Hinting at the influence of Ghana鈥檚 independence on other African countries, Dr. Nkrumah declared his country would assist all African peoples in their pursuit of freedom and social progress.
聽聽聽 Today, new Ghana stamps bearing Dr. Nkrumah鈥檚 portrait are on sale in the post offices and shortly Ghana鈥檚 own money will replace the British West African currency now in use. Passports are being printed, embassies established overseas, and the many other changes which must come about with nationhood are being put into effect. When the holidays end March 7 the writhing congas of people which were going full steam till an early hour March 6 will have dispersed, the flags and bunting will start coming down, and Ghana must shoulder the workaday responsibilities it assumed with independence.