without prejudice. Our job is to remove obstacles wherever we find them.
To break up log jams. To eliminate prejudices against the steps that
must be taken if Africa is to run down the path of progress, rather than
to crawl. We usually operate in teams of about half a dozen. There are
hundreds of such teams in North Africa alone."

He rapped his knuckle against the small table behind which he stood.
"Which brings us to the present and to the purpose of suggesting this
meeting. Most of you are operating under other auspices than the
Reunited Nations. Many of you duplicate some of our work. It occurred to
me, and my team mates, that it might be a good idea for us to get
together and see if there is ground for co-operation."

Jake Armstrong called out, "What kind of co-operation?"

Crawford shrugged. "How would I know? Largely, I don't even know who you
represent, or the exact nature of the tasks you are trying to perform. I
suggest that each group of us represented here, stand up and announce
their position. Possibly, it will lead to something of value."

"I make that a motion," Cliff Jackson said.

"Second," Elmer Allen called out.

The majority were in favor.

Homer Crawford sat down behind the table, saying, "Who'll start off?"

Armstrong said, "Isobel, you're better looking than I am. They'd rather
look at you. You present our story."

Isobel came to her feet and shot him a scornful glance. "Lazy," she
said.

Jake Armstrong grinned at her. "Make it good."

Isobel took her place next to the table at which Crawford sat and faced
the others.

She looked at the chairman from the side of her eyes and said, "After
that allegedly _brief_ summation Mr. Crawford made, I have a sneaking
suspicion that we'll be here until next week unless I set a new
precedent and cut the position of the Africa for Africans Association
shorter."

Isobel got her laugh, including one from Homer Crawford, and went on.

"Anyway, I suppose most of you know of the AFAA and possibly many of you
belong to it, or at least contribute. We've been called the African
Zionist organization and perhaps that's not too far off. We are largely,
but not entirely an American association. We send out our teams, such as
the one my colleagues and I belong to, in order to speed up progress
and, as our chairman put it, eliminate prejudices against the steps that
must be taken if Africa is to run down the path of progress instead of
crawl. We also advoca