Back from Development

French troopships steamed out of Algiers' harbor last week, and the Tricolor on the Admiralty Building was replaced by the green-and-white banner of Algeria. In a nationwide broadcast, President Ahmed ben Bella cried, "This important event reaffirms our national sovereignty and consolidates our independence!"

The departure, 134 years after the first French soldiers landed, was the last step of France's retreat from Algeria--well, almost the last. Some French troops still remain at the big Mers-el-Kebir naval base and at Saharan bases, but Ben Bella promised his countrymen that a "solution will be found."

Unanswered by Ben Bella was how Algeria will fare without the French. The stores in Algiers look prosperous and there are still so many cars that parking is difficult. But business is bad, and getting worse. Early this month one big department store chain closed its outlets in Algiers and four other cities. A staggering two-thirds of the work force is either unemployed or underemployed, fully half of Algeria's $525 million budget comes from foreign aid. Most of the food distributed is the gift of the U.S., while the government-regulated press fumes about U.S. imperialism, not to mention segregation.

On all sides there are appeals for greater efforts in building socialism. There has been a 30% decline in the output of nationalized industries since 1962 and a drastic fall in production on the farms seized from French owners when they fled the country. Because of mismanagement, storage vats are filled with millions of gallons of wine from last year's harvest, and there is no room to store this year's crop. Anti-government bands roam the mountains of Kabylia, and last month a clumsy attempt was made on Ben Bella's life. So far, Ben Bella has maintained control through his ingenuity in sowing discord among his foes and by frightening the masses with the prospect of civil war if he is overthrown. The situation is summed up by a wry Western joke heard in the cafes: "Algeria is a developed country that is moving toward underdevelopment."

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