A minor incident highlighted a serious problem last week. Liberian airfield workers just could not grasp the U.S. logic in shutting down a nice strategic base like Roberts Field, on the west bulge of Africa. They missed their regular pay. The Army had buttoned up the big Air Transport base at the end of March and left a handful of G.I. guards to hold off the exuberant jungle and its prowlers from the runways and buildings.
Prowlers promptly appeared, and prowling led to trouble. Warehouses caught fire. One native tangled with a live power line and electrocuted himself. A fortnight...