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4/12/1951 - Volta River Scheme by Edwin S. Munger

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS ESM Aoora Gold Coast Volta River Scheme Revised Marshfield Mass Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers No American physical human engineering caught imagination Africans Europeans Africa Tennessee Valley Authority On continent short power possibilities hydro electric development continually brought forward Action crystallized around Owen Falls Dam where Nile leaves Lake Victoria East Africa Kariba GorEe Central Africa Volta River Scheme West Africa When Volta sixty miles northeast Acora completed surface water twice TVA lakes A backward unproductive river valley become major world aluminum production needed source African foodstuffs provide embryo nation muscles electric power Significant differences exist between Volta TVA The former sirle generation electricity major irrigation secorary It aimed directly flood control navigation recreational benefit Tentative figures kilowatts produced continuously A large reduction bauxite obtain aluminum A constructed cover urban centers Gold Coast serve manganese bauxite mines western country But kilowatts utilized The aluminum project brainchild Duncan Rose Chairman West African Aluminum Limited cpauy bauxite deposits Behind company Canadian aluminum interests further plans discussed leading aluminu interests Great Britain Canada United States Tonnage figures involved roughly Bauxite mines factory Electrodes factory Aluminum factory Irrigation cover approximately million acres sparsely inhabited people forced whole project Accra plains described Letter A pilot scheme underway surveys being indicate crops expected prove successful Basic Services Characteristically Africa provision basic services takes great chunks resources planning money required America example Before electricity aluminum duced expensive difficult round completed Briefly includess construction lines ECA utilize artificial harbor Takoradi import tutorials construe artificial harbor Aoora expan improvement Accra itself roads through countryside housin construction large scale amenities provided train schemes produce skilled workers recrulted placing local paper created primary school educated livin dlsnt often primitive villages At three ports imports Volta scheme alone total which cement Wh large Gold Coas tonnases involved careful phasin whole operation planned Costs Finanein variety sources including aluminum interests their factory British government throu various funds ECA possibly eneral subscription issue revenues Gold Coast government which auxiliary expenses Total costs neighborhood I00 Between Lines I could summarize detail plans those carried vrious phases Volta project In years there flood maaslne features newspaper articles probably short movie scheme It discussed United Nations urger Point IV British Colonial Reports Parliamentary debate details facts ideas I gathered deduced observations seein projected locaions irrigated conversa tions Africans British livin workin Gold Coast people London concerned I The various authors Volta correctly recognize criterion economic practicality successful power developed reduction earby bauxite deposits produce aluminum From lookin figures preceding final estimates luaion character previous estimates Gold Coast I humbly because I about technical details electricity I believe capacity cities Aoora Kumasl smaller towns prlvae African Syrian commercial users absorb electricity Erosaly underestimated Perhaps I injecting optimism pineerin expansion drastic chane livir starards I believe Afrioans light every Just livin costs 8asollne 8enerators diesel motors people smaller areas using current African drive their business money fully recognized At present there severe shortage water electricity every major Gold Coast In cases equipment order sometimes preset demand Kumasi heaviest rainfall areas world Its ppulatlon doubled slowly American And businesses handicapped water power The reasons enerally widespread shortages equipment holdups world depression early world slump second world delivery difficulties I believe although seems admit faultr Judgment needs timid leadership among principal factors There several places where sited At least eoloioally satisfactory No physical diffloultles The question which which economical The labor supply llkely prove difficult those expect This applies skilled labor which there accurate inventory unskilled workers The government conscious labor market withdrawals havoc othertypesofemployment Itseemstomet tagreaterntonalinvestment plannln rainlng skilled workers would Justlfl their later productive contributions general economy Gold Coast It would truly disastrous depression about surplus trained Of total labor force estimated I0 which prove auxiliary developments considered majority skilled The current among planners large unskilled labor French territory especially Upper Volta I talked officials Ouagadouou capital French colony found dubious their being supply wanting supply anythin laborers addition normal unsupervised south employment Although Teresa Teshle specific planned primarily connection Volta construction subse quent export aluminum openin import costs smulate economic rowth Gold Coast large This electricity labor skilled unskilled The electricity available power lines carry adequate permanently larger labor force available through increased individual productivity partleularly rowin6 It discussed official releases polltios world strategy enter Volta scheme gwame krumah political dynamo leader maJority party power keenly interested Just prison smetimes shows surprisi inorance workis firmly fixed convlotion The Brish overn stalled putinK effect rapidly feasible krumah example believes Ametitancomp charge would opera instead pilot stage Possibly undeserved oompliment American reputation speed efficiency But important realize leaders eople Gold Coast ideas wether valid I informed excellent authority London there deliberate stall those responsible development Aluminum production costs Borneo found those estimated Gold Coast droppin Volta strongly considered world aluminum picture Hostilities Korea increased daners investment Pacific strategic risks havin mines there This consideration world markets costs strategic values carefully concealed Africans Gold Coast certainly officials puttin their enersies etting action It always pilot study irriation example should started after judged valid No absolutely reasons delays Gold Coast policians their noses twitchin action Legislative Assembly about slowness progress based their suspicions In Vola scheme light American publlo reading African TVA oomln years It something BIG worth followin This letter reading between lines Sincerely yours Edwin S Muner