S.A. Appeal To Moral Issue

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31075, 2 June 1966, Page 13

S.A. Appeal To Moral Issue

(N.Z.PA. Reuter—Copyright) PRETORIA, June 1. The South African Prime Minister, Dr. Hendrick Verwoerd, in a speech in Pretoria last night described South Africa as a white man’s domain and said it would be morally wrong to hand over power to the African majority.

“Would it be moral to create the appearance of freedom and the effects of slavery?” Dr. Verwoerd asked a big crowd of white people, after a day of celebrations marking South Africa’s fifth birthday as a republic. “For the Bantu, would it be

right for them to become the dominating group, but in the process be unable to direct, and run, and develop the stage of white civilisation this country has reached?” he asked. He said Britain and the United States could have racial integration in their own countries, but they should not interfere with South Africa. Loud shouts of “No” came when Dr. Verwoerd asked the crowd if racial integration were the right policy for a country like South Africa. Big Parade

Earlier today, South Africa celebrated her anniversary as a republic with her biggest peace-time military parade, a pageant, and massed choirs. But, more than 250,000 people watching the marchpast were hushed as the officer commanding the parade. Brigadier Jan Burger, collapsed and died of a heart attack as the parade neared its end.

Nearly 20,000 troops took part, with a six-mile motorised column of tanks, artillery and military vehicles. More than 200 military aircraft then swept by in a flypast. The Pretoria celebrations were for whites only. In Cape Town, more than 40,000 mixed (coloured) people gathered at a local show ground for their own Govern-ment-organised festivities.