dec 10, 1952 - Olympio complaints about Pechoux

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During the consideration of this report by the Fourth Committee of the seventh Assembly in December 1952, the representatives of the All-Ewe Conference and the Joint Togoland Congress bitterly criticized the Visiting Mission. Olympio of the All-Ewe Conference told the Committee about the various acts of "intimidation and coercion" of the French Commissioner of Togoland, Pechoux whom he called "Specialiste de la repression," which were designed to prevent access to the Mission.
[Olympio]: "Do you, the United Nations, mean business when you say that we are to have self-government or independence? Do you mean business when you tell us that we are to be allowed to work out our destinies in accordance with our freely expressed wishes? If you mean business, now is the time to show it to us. If you do not, what do you expect us to do? Shall we follow the examples of other peoples who have felt frustrated in their search for emancipation? For instance, shall we defy the laws, shall we let our hotheads make riots and disturbances? Thaz is what they did in the Gold Coast in 1948 and the result was that within two years they were making for themselves a constitution giving them something very close to self-government. Do you advise us to follow that example? But, Mr Chairman, we in Togoland still put from our minds the thought of using violence to secure our legitimate aspirations. Heaven knows, we have been provoked, but we have kept our faith in the promises of the United Nations Charter perhaps longer than any other people on earth. But the time has come for you to tell us, frankly and honestly, where we stand. We cannot devote the rest of our lives to making these annual trips to New York. We cannot go on wasting away our money and energy in reaffirming the truth for pour benefit whenever the Administering Powers try to blacken it."

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