THE CONGO VANISHING FRIENDS INTO THE GLASS-ENCLOSED WINTER GARDEN OF HIS PINK 
PALACE STRODE KATANGA'S SECESSIONIST MOISE TSHOMBE WITH AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT . 
" I AM PLEASED TO HAVE ENDED MY WORK AND HAVE 
DONE MY DUTY, " TSHOMBE TOLD NEWSMEN, AND NOW HE WOULD 
BE LEAVING FOR NORTHERN RHODESIA TO TAKE CARE OF A TROUBLESOME 
EYE AILMENT . HOW LONG WOULD HE BE GONE ? " 
THE DOCTORS WILL DECIDE THAT, " SAID TSHOMBE, BUT ELISABETHVILLE HUMMED 
WITH RUMORS THAT HE WAS GOING FOR GOOD . MOISE DID 
NOTHING TO SQUELCH THE GOSSIP, FOR 48 HOURS AFTER HE LEFT 
HIS CAPITAL HE WAS ON A PLANE BOUND FOR PARIS . 
AT THE RATE TSHOMBE'S FRIENDS WERE DESERTING HIM, SELF-EXILE MIGHT NOT 
BE SUCH A BAD IDEA . LAST WEEK 23 OF TSHOMBE'S 
TOP KATANGA GENDARMERIE OFFICERS FLEW INTO LEOPOLDVILLE FOR A LET'S-BE-FRIENDS DINNER 
OF ROAST CHICKEN AND CREPES SUZETTE WITH LEADERS OF THE CONGOLESE 
ARMY, THEN SWORE OATHS OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT . 
EVEN TSHOMBE'S ERSTWHILE AFRICAN ALLIES WERE RE-EXAMINING THEIR RELATIONS WITH LEOPOLDVILLE 
. FIRST TO BURY THE HATCHET WAS PRESIDENT FULBERT YOULOU OF 
THE CONGO REPUBLIC, FORMERLY THE FRENCH CONGO, WHOSE CAPITAL CITY OF 
BRAZZAVILLE LIES ACROSS THE RIVER FROM LEOPOLDVILLE . YOULOU, A NON-PRACTICING 
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST WHO STUBBORNLY CONTINUES TO WEAR HIS CASSOCK, SUPPORTED 
TSHOMBE'S SECESSION IN 1960 . BUT WITH TSHOMBE ON THE WAY 
OUT, YOULOU SUDDENLY SAILED ACROSS THE STANLEY POOL TO MAKE FRIENDS 
WITH THE LEOPOLDVILLE CROWD . THEN, LOOKING LIKE A SHORTER, SUNTANNED 
VERSION OF SONNY LISTON, HE TOOK OFF ON A FIVE-DAY TOUR 
OF THE COUNTRY WITH LEOPOLDVILLE'S PRESIDENT JOSEPH KASAVUBU . THE CONGOLESE 
BORE NO GRUDGE . THE DAY YOULOU LEFT FOR HOME, SCHOOL 
WAS CANCELED IN LEOPOLDVILLE SO THE CHILDREN COULD LINE HIS DEPARTURE 
ROUTE . 