Dr. Verwocrd

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31167, 17 September 1966, Page 14

Dr. Verwocrd

Sir, —I, too, was shocked at your paper printing a letter condemning Dr. Verwoerd, whose policies have done more for the coloured of South Africa than is being done anywhere else other than perhaps Rhodesia. Apartheid is not wrong in a country where the coloured races have to be protected from agitators and from blacks coming in from the north to gain the better conditions. The Sharpeville shooting was caused by agitators and became necessary to protect 'he lives of the innocent and property, as is the 90-day detention law which is for subversion. Under apartheid the races are kept apart: the black and coloured are being resettled in new settlements where they live with their own kind and are much happier for it. The book, “Black Like Me,” has nothing to do with South Africa, but is of the American coloured problem.—Yours, etc., A.J.B. September 15, 1966. Sir,—You report the whiteSouth African barrister, Mr Sachs, as saying in London, “there would be jubilation among the great majority of coloured people in South Africa” (regarding the death of Dr. Verwoerd). What Mr Sachs should have said was, "there would be jubilation among coloured folk who follow the Communist Party line.” The dignified and obviously sincere tributes paid Dr. Verwoerd by Chiefs Kaiser Matanzima of Transkei and Chief Jonathan of Basutoland indicate plainly that Mr Sachs was not speaking for ordinary, decent Africans. Mr Sachs was gaoled in South Africa for his Communist activities, and his comments would be coloured by his political beliefs.—Yours, etc., D.V. September 15, 1966. Sir,— If “M” elects to “consider Dr Verwoerd’s contribution to society,” his words would bear more weight if he considered the pros as well as the cons, instead of reeling off anti-apartheid propaganda. One gets sick of being reminded of the Sharpeville incident while more recent massacres in various parts of the world, e.g„ Tibet, Burundi, Congo, are glossed over. There may be thousands in South Africas gaols, but why ignore the many thousands of political prisoners in other parts of Africa and the communist world? What makes South Africa’s police "nazi-type” as opposed to that of, say Cuba or East I Germany? Or do such objectives apply only to things; we hate? If the dead Verwoerd is to’ be denounced as a fiend, why not start nearer home and label as monsters the dead local politicians responsible for massacring the Maoris in the last century, instead of singing their praises?— Yours etc. B September 15, 1966.

Sir,—No-one should be surprised that people such as your correspondent “M” are allowed to express views in a daily newspaper , condoning murder. Very largely today it is the educated idiots, the so-called intellectuals, the riffraff, the brainwashed zombie element in society, people

without any roots in their country’s history, culture, and tradition that get the headlines. Much of what is called modem art and public entertainment is imposed on us by these weirdies.—Yours, etc., 1066. September 12, 1966. Itinerant Tradesman Sir, —I ’ would warn the public against an itinerant sharpener of lawnmowers. Already two have been spoilt in our district. An old man jof 89 had to buy a new one. Yours, etc., ANOTHER MUG. September 15, 1966. Pen-Friend Wanted An Australian office girl, planning a working holiday in New Zealand next January, would like to write to a girl about 18 years to learn more about working conditions and clothes. In return she will write about the same in Australia. She is: Miss C. Roads. 3 Portland road, Queenstown. South Australia. Ramon Toster, 211 Swan street, Mount Yokine. Perth. Western Australia, wants a pen-friend. He is 14, and is interested in stamp-collecting, football, and swimming.