CONGO REPUBLIC FAILURE OF A FETISH ONCE ON A STATE VISIT TO 
PARIS, ABBE FULBERT YOULOU, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, 
SHOOK HANDS WITH CHARLES DE GAULLE AND BOASTED : " LIKE 
YOU, I AM IRREVERSIBLE . " LAST WEEK, ON THE THIRD 
ANNIVERSARY OF HIS COUNTRY'S INDEPENDENCE, YOULOU WAS REVERSED RIGHT OUT OF 
OFFICE BY AN EXPLOSION OF HIS PEOPLE'S PENT-UP DISCONTENT . HIS 
COUNTRY, THE EX-FRENCH COLONY CALLED THE " OTHER CONGO " TO 
DISTINGUISH IT FROM ITS ANARCHIC EX-BELGIAN NEIGHBOR, HAS LONG SEEMED QUIET 
AND PEACEFUL . BUT WHEN IT CAME, YOULOU'S EXIT HAD ALL 
THE REVOLUTIONARY TRIMMINGS, INCLUDING A STORMING OF THE LOCAL BASTILLE AND 
A MOB OUTSIDE THE PALACE HOWLING FOR BREAD . NNNN HABITUALLY 
CLAD IN A CASSOCK OFTEN TOPPED BY A HOMBURG, AND SAID 
TO HAVE CARRIED A PISTOL IN HIS ROBES, YOULOU AT 46 
WAS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST UNUSUAL STATESMEN . A MEMBER 
OF THE LARI TRIBE HIS NAME MEANS " FETISH WHICH CANNOT 
BE GRASPED " HE WAS REARED BY CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES AND IN 
1946 ORDAINED A PRIEST . LATER, IN DEFIANCE OF ORDERS FROM 
HIS SUPERIOR, YOULOU RAN FOR THE FRENCH ASSEMBLY (HE LOST) AND 
WAS SUSPENDED BY THE CHURCH, IS STILL FORBIDDEN TO SAY MASS 
. BECAUSE OF HIS SUSPENSION, HE WAS ACCLAIMED BY HIS COUNTRYMEN 
AS A VICTIM OF DISCRIMINATION AND ELECTED MAYOR OF BRAZZAVILLE IN 
1956 . EXPLOITING CONGOLESE SUPERSTITIONS, HE SOON HAD MANY VOTERS CONVINCED 
THAT HIS PERSONAL FETISH, A SMALL YELLOW CROCODILE, HAD " THE 
POWER . " WITH THE ADVENT OF INDEPENDENCE, YOULOU WAS ELECTED 
PREMIER AND PRESIDENT, PROMISING HIS NEW NATION " TOMORROWS THAT SING 
. " HE ORDERED A PARIS COUTURIER TO RUN UP A 
WARDROBE OF CASSOCKS, IN COLORS FROM MAUVE TO BOTTLE GREEN . 
HE SAVORED IMPORTED CHAMPAGNE BY THE CASE AND CONSTRUCTED A LUXURY 
HOTEL ; WHEN ASKED HOW HE FINANCED IT, HE REPLIED : 
" I AM SPENDING THE SAVINGS OF POOR MAMAN . SHE 
SOLD NUTS AND VEGETABLES . " RISE OF THE CRITICS . 
MEANWHILE THE COUNTRY'S TIMBER-BASED ECONOMY STAGNATED . THIS YEAR FRANCE CUT 
OFF ITS $1,100,000 ANNUAL DOLE, AND YOULOU RAISED TAXES . BASIC 
FOOD PRICES DOUBLED, AND AS BUSH PEOPLE KEPT STREAMING INTO CROWDED 
BRAZZAVILLE, 19 OUT OF EVERY 20 AFRICANS IN THE CITY WERE 
WITHOUT WORK . THEN YOULOU MADE HIS WORST MISTAKE HE ASKED 
GUINEA'S DEMAGOGIC, LEFTISH PRESIDENT SEKOU TOURE FOR A VISIT . INSTEAD 
OF UTTERING NICETIES, THE GUEST ELECTRIFIED THE LOCALS WITH DENUNCIATIONS OF 
AFRICAN LEADERS WHO TURN WEALTHY BOURGEOIS . LAST MONTH BRAZZAVILLE'S THREE 
TRADE UNIONS, ONE OF WHICH IS COMMUNIST, DEMANDED REFORMS . YOULOU 
PROMISED LABOR A SAY IN A NEW, SINGLE-PARTY GOVERNMENT THAT HE 
PLANNED TO PROCLAIM . SATISFIED, THE UNIONS EASED OFF . BUT 
FORTNIGHT AGO, WORD BEGAN CIRCULATING THAT YOULOU WAS ABOUT TO RENEGE 
. PROMPTLY THE UNIONS CALLED A GENERAL STRIKE ; LAST WEEK, 
ON THE EVE OF THE STRIKE, TWO LABOR LEADERS WERE ARRESTED 
. FALL OF THE MESSIAH . AS THE WALKOUT BEGAN, BRAZZAVILLE 
WAS SHUT TIGHT, AND 1,500 DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED FOR A MORNING RALLY 
AT THE RAILROAD STATION . SUDDENLY MOUNTED CONGOLESE GENDARMES CHARGED THEM 
WITH SABERS FLASHING . THE RAGGED MOB BURST THROUGH POLICE LINES 
AND SURGED TOWARD THE CITY PRISON, HURLING STONES AND BRICKS . 
AT THE PRISON ENTRANCE, POLICE OPENED FIRE, KILLING AT LEAST THREE 
. UNDETERRED, THE MOB BATTERED DOWN THE STEEL GATE, FREED 480 
ELATED PRISONERS . MOVING ON, THE RIOTERS SET ABOUT BURNING HOMES 
AND CARS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS . BOTH CALL THEMSELVES REPUBLIC OF 
THE CONGO, LIST THEMSELVES UNOFFICIALLY BY THE NAMES OF THEIR CAPITALS 
: CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE) AND CONGO (LEOPOLDVILLE) FROM HIS PALACE, YOULOU PLEADED 
WITH THE FRENCH COMMANDER OF THE CONGOLESE TROOPS TO TAKE MORE 
VIGOROUS ACTION . " SHOOT, SHOOT, " YOULOU CRIED, COVERING HIS 
EARS . BUT HIS APPEAL WAS IN VAIN . ALTHOUGH THE 
FRENCH HAD 3,000 OF THEIR OWN MEN IN THE COUNTRY UNDER 
A DEFENSE TREATY, AND AIR-LIFTED IN ANOTHER 1,000, ORDERS FROM PARIS 
WERE ONLY TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE AND FRENCH PROPERTY . 
ON THE RADIO, YOULOU ANNOUNCED A GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE, BUT IT WAS 
TOO LATE . NEXT MORNING THE MOB, NOW SWOLLEN TO 10,000, 
AGAIN POURED OUT OF THE CITY'S TWO SHANTYTOWNS . ONE MAN 
WAS HEARD TO CRY : " I HAVE NOT WORKED IN 
SIX MONTHS . I HAVE NOT EATEN IN THREE DAYS . 
" FINALLY, RESPLENDENT IN A WHITE CASSOCK, YOULOU APPEARED ON THE 
PALACE STEPS, ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD RESIGNED TO PREVENT A BLOODBATH 
. WITH A THUNDERCLAP OF CHEERS, THE CROWD BROKE UP PEACEFULLY, 
AND WITHIN HOURS BRAZZAVILLE WAS BACK TO NORMAL . TAKING OVER, 
THE ARMY CHOSE AS PROVISIONAL PREMIER ALPHONSE MASSAMBA-DEBAT, 42, A MODERATE 
LEFTIST AND FORMER YOULOU CABINET MINISTER WHO FELL FROM FAVOR . 
IN CONTRAST TO HIS CATHOLIC PREDECESSOR, MASSAMBA-DEBAT IS PROTESTANT . APPOINTED 
WITH HIM WAS A SEVEN-MAN CABINET OF FRENCH-TRAINED TECHNICIANS THAT FAILED 
TO INCLUDE ANY UNION LEADERS . MASSAMBA-DEBAT HINTED AT PROMPT ELECTIONS 
. AS FOR FULBERT YOULOU, HE HAD SAVED HIS HEAD AT 
LEAST SO FAR, WAS SPIRITED AWAY TO AN ARMY CAMP FOR 
SAFEKEEPING . ANNOUNCED MASSAMBA-DEBAT : " THERE WILL BE NO REPRISALS 
AGAINST MONSIEUR YOULOU . HE IS A CONGOLESE NOBLEMAN . " 
