Minutes of the Twenty-ninth Meeting of the Committee (Deputy Directors) Held in Conference Room "G", at the Ministry of Defence, S.W.I, on Wednesday, 15th March, 1950, at 11.00 a.m.

3. COMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT (EXCLUDING EGYPT) SECRET THE COMMITTEE considered a draft report+ surveying Communist influence in the African continent (excluding Egypt). In discussion on the general form of a report it was pointed out that the covering report containing the conclusions was approximately the same length as the general discussion in the Annex to the report, which in turn covered a lengthy Appendix examining Communism in individual countries. It was, therefore, agreed that the covering report and the Annex should be incorporated into a single paper in a form suitable for the general reader, leaving the full Appendix for detailed study in Departments. MR. BARTON said that there was one important point which was not fully brought out in the report, namely that Communism, in its present sense as representing the doctrines of Marx and Lenin as interpreted by Stalin, was not generally known in British Colonial possessions in Africa. There were, it was true, certain Moscow trained individuals to be found in the various territories, but there were no Communist Parties as such. Discontent and racial feelings prevailed in certain of the British Colonies and this might provide fertile ground for genuine Communism, particularly as the social structure of the native way of life was communal. The average mentality and state of education of the local inhabitants was, however, generally very low and incapable of assimilating true Communism. The re-arrangement of the report, as now agreed, would give adequate emphasis to a second point which he wished stressed, the fact that "nationalism" did not really apply in the African Continent as the conception of a nation was as yet almost unknown. There was general agreement that due emphasis should be given to the first point raised by the Colonial Office. It was generally agreed that the Joint Intelligence Staff should recast the draft report on the lines indicated in discussion, and that any amendments to the present revised draft report which Departments might wish to make should be forwarded to the Joint Intelligence staff for incorporation as necessary. THE COMMITTEE:- Instructed the Joint Intelligence Staff to prepare a second revised draft report on the lines indicated in discussion, and to circulate it for clearance by telephone. + J.I.C. (49) 115 (Revised Draft). -2-