This newsletter contains four articles and four brief reports:
George F. Kennan’s article describes contemporary America, which is experiencing various inter-acting troubles. Externally, these are competition with the Soviet Union and the war in Vietnam. America’s domestic problems include pollution and environmental deterioration, inflation, deterioration of residential and cultural centres in the cities, disaffection among the youth, political militancy and radicalism, as well as racial problems.
Jacques Freymond’s article concerns the justification for the existence of small states like Switzerland. Although America and Europe favour integration and heads of new states battle to establish large economic and political coalitions, the small state is not necessarily doomed.
The third article is the transcript of the Press Conferences given by Mr. David Newsom (Assistant Secretary of State) and Mr. W. Beverly Carter (Deputy Assistant Secretary of State) in Johannesburg on 10th November, 1970, during their “familiarisation” tour of South Africa.
The last article is a summary based on a report in The Times, London, 5 November 1970, concerning the Ivory Coast. President Felix Houphouet-Boigny announced that his Government planned a meeting of African leaders to urge direct talks with South Africa because force would not solve the problem of apartheid. Since independence from France, Ivory Coast has prospered, due to its Government allowing unrestricted investment from abroad.
The brief reports concern the Conference on the Human Environment, the Soviet Union in the Indian Ocean, relations between West Germany and Eastern Europe, and the Common Market and African Commonwealth states.
