PREMIER’S HOPES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29177, 11 April 1960, Page 15

PREMIER’S HOPES

Speech Before Shooting JOHANNESBURG, April 9 Dr. Verwoerd had made a confident speech on South Africa’s future before the bullet of a white gunman felled him on the speaker’s platform at the Union exposition. Dr. Verwoerd told the thousands gathered to hear him that the future of South Africa was bigger than her past. The exposition displayed what generations had built, but this was only the foundation. He said events sometimes upset people and caused them to think that an end had come to a phase in the nation’s life and that retrogression would follow. Consequences such as this. Dr. Verwoerd said, did not actually follow. The history of South Africa was one of crisis upon crisis, but out of every crisis was born greater achievement. What South Africa was experiencing today would mean not defeat, but greater progress in each sphere of South Africa's life. The Prime Minister said the exposition, one of the major parts of nation-wide celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Union’s foundations, displayed what life in South Africa could bring to everyone. “We see before us what is true of most countries, but particularly of South Africa—that life does not only consist of one field of activity but that all phases are closely interlinked.” he said In 50 years of concentrated activity the Union had done more than many larger nations had succeeded in doing in a much longer period. He said’ South Africa was “preoared to serve in Africa and is prepared to co-onerate with any other state in the world—white nr black. South Africa believes ‘hat its good fellowship, particularly in the industrial sphere should be reciprocated.