South Africa is resist this international An on-the- ment from MARTIN SPRING, a journalist with The Financial Mail, Johannesburg. pressure’ ‘Africans traveling abvoad isthe bei, widely held by many otherwise intligent ‘well-informed, people, that So Afric sa county tateriag on the brink ‘of racial civ war of apocalyptic Portions and that is inevitable res will be victory forthe local version of Black “The reson for thei amazement ita all South Aticans, whether they be White for Black, for apart ora epting only handful of extremists ‘how etal facueshave been paralysed by extravagant hope, Know that such a bit ee patent abort. tat theres already a sputter- ila war tsealt, involving South Ali increas” ingly in the defence of Rhodesia, Morar ‘igus, Angola; and perhaps friendly Malawi "And it ie fact that occasional local ftareups in Bantu areas are always posuble AfHcans are subject to great ical. strains imposed bythe Industry, the pressures of ty if, ad the ‘weaening of many tribal eutures, aswell {5 permanent subjection to an alien ac ‘But thee eno chance at all hat either ‘ype of limited conflict could trlgaer oT sneral upcning, and especially tha an uprising, ft occured, could ‘Tothink that could isto show gn 3 he Fundamentals for vetry in Hlonary' wae, underestimate ‘Alrie’s stength and stably, and to ‘exaggerate the country’s probes. “There ie mach that Alics and all thinking accept this, though the divided over what are the ight solutions But thee i world of dference between f'taved society common eooush ‘Bhenomenon in this imperfect world— fod one 20 ev that i injstices must Inevitably provoke FevAfricans are subject to great psychological strains.” Too many highly coloured reports have been writen about South Africa's verongs to need to recount them here ‘They are well known. Far too tle has teen sti, however, about the Republic's ‘Relations at a personal level between races with totally difereat backgrounds, utloks, and ways of life are surprisingly f0od~and slowly improving. Johannes burg, as any traveller will know snobby relaxed compared. with many large "This island which has never known lynching, and whose peoples show much more goodwill and respet towards one nother than exits usual allow Apart to draw the ines so tata member of ay ace group has the security of knowing fxacly where he stands His rights may limited, but a leas theres no slering through the hypoersy of being promised ‘Paradise which society can never deliver: The practical benefits of the South Afican Way of Mie for on-Whies are substantial Their educational and Iodical facilities are the finest on the ‘Afean continent. The slum clearance Programme has been implemented on & Seale equal 0 the building of six new ‘ities the size of Southampton over the past ten years, and. today” the Black Suburbs are showpices for foreign Living standards of non-Whites, though modest by European levels, reso high for Africa thatthe Republic is @ Mecca which hs drava a milion foreign ‘workers from abroad™and many more ‘would come if they could. Teas been sald That South Africa tthe only. police Stato" in history that as to guard is borders to keep people on ‘Even polieally South Aca is roping its way towards its ideal of @ Southein “Affican Commonwealth of Autonomous. but economically intr: dependent Black and White ations ‘Arians are geting United voting rights fd some of thei leaders, like Chit Kaizer Matanzima, Chief Minister ofthe embindependent Transkei, eter con ‘iderable fluence. ‘Apartheid is controversial solution to what is undoubtedly, potently, the ‘work's greatest race problem, with Tour Imajor and widely difering race groups, thentslves divided internally by tbe and language South Afcans can be forgiven for lacgely holding the view thatthe standard ‘tion to Black-White race. problems ‘leewherefll poitial, social genetic, fand_ economic Integration is ‘certainly hot working in fact seems 49 be exter: ating ace tensions For the time being, apartheid or separate development is working in South ‘Afin in the sense that the county Is Sable and poacefaland-within the harrow confines of the policy—non- ‘Whites are making genuine advances Tn brief, the pressures are nowhere ea reatenough{o produce a revolution But even if they were, no revolution would be possbl-"The Whites command feery centre of power—in the armed ores, inthe cv service, in industry. in the polidal system, A the heat of most Gold bricks in the vaults of the [SA Reserve Bank Pretoria Homes for Bantu, na township near Johannesburg, ‘confit between thowe who are, thal Bans, who already have ther fot inthe door, should teallowed into thos citadels ‘of power, and those who sy they should be obliged Yo build citadel oftheir own ‘itn their own areas ‘What no South African Whites are revolutionary agitation which could ds tur the Repu’ stay and endanger Colour. ‘The risk 100 grea, and move tents of this type have been crushed | "There is no Black Power in South Alia, nor a Ks Klux Klan either, no to disrupt a complex and delicately poised ciety. Within the contest of thee own ‘ondiions, South Africans are mltant The important question, however, Fess international presue to force t change its ways ‘nation's strength i rooted in a complenity of factors. The pr pabliies of ie conoms. The hing from foreign frends. ‘The courage and competence of ie leadership In all lds | fof national endeavour, but eel in “The Whites command every centre of power.” fovernment. And above all the quality of fs people and their capacity for sl South Africa’ economy sa small one ty international stand. aanual ‘utp st ear sort ss than £6,000 tllon, or one-sixth the sv of Britain. Nevertheless tis «partially sound economy. witha rate of growth of real ving standard twice as high a Beitai's ‘over the past decade, the lowest rae of {nation among industrialized nations, a igh rte of savings and home ownership, find a balance of payments postion so Strong. thatthe Republic's foreign re ‘South Africa har ple cheap un skied Tabour and ‘immense mineral source work's biggest reserves of eres of uranium, high-quality on fre, mangtnese, copper, phosphales, and ‘iamonds; minor eserves of almost every ther indesrally useful minerals and ‘thou the cheapest coal in the word Soannesburg howsewives pay £3 6 44 a ton delivered (0 thei doors ‘Bat these blessings are counter- talncod by high internal and inter tational transport costs because of feat distances Involved, lack of War, ind perpetual skied labour shortage, which "even a vigorous immigration Programme. (almost doubling up. the Fatal ate growth of te skied labour force) has not ben abl to overcome “The country's real tenet isin the vigour and verality of fe work fore Chass. fesing hardly exists, and rapid promotion on merit the rule. Strikes Ere almost unknown and. restive practices limited to racial dividing lines Faherty applied. New ideas are Annual output last year was one-sixth the size of Britain's”snapped up and applied with almost “This is 4 young society, lke America in the 20, with proud capitalist Pro extant ethic and complete confidence in ie future. Planners in and outside government see no. reson why ‘South ‘Afvca cannot continu to push up i real nit period British level tn The late Dr Eben Dinges & South Alcan statesman, sid) that a sound flefence. He meant that ising Th Sandards made for racial pes mi defence programme es, and. comfort snd an advanced Country freedom ate foreign indstial base gave “The world’s biggest reserves of gold, platinum, and chrome.” Certainly there ino doubt that the Republic would be beter abe to survive tier conditions of altout war than most ‘ther counties aimost selsuicient in foods, id become completely so with ite efor Tt needs oil, having none of is own. ‘Buti elise on il for enersy suppiy ‘reserve of to years normal consumption fas. the word's largest oikfromenal Plant and borders Angola. with is big ew petroleum finds fabricated components and capital goods ‘Top let: Young white men learning {0 operate a miling machine. ‘Top right: Zulus being tained 2 machanies at a Bentu college eft: Drilling into the rock face {old thousands of feet underground Below: Mine offciais taking a reading during a tunnel survey. such as roller bearings, scenic instru ‘ments, specialized chemicals, and metals ‘machinery, and electrical egipment have teen stockpiled. But very few tems could they ha t9 nd ict to dos, The Repu already produces items as sophisticated as computers, jet fighter airralt, transistors, syntelle fubber, motor vehicle engines, elect “ A perpetual skilled labour shortage.” Tocomotives, small ships, special steels, fad guided misses. Miltary, South Africa i virally impregnable to any conventional attack ‘xcept one nade on a masive scale by, oF tacked by, either the US or Russa™a Dosti which can be ruled out Tes fot a country which could be conquered faslly or quickly, a Britain discovered ‘when, a the height ofits power, t had to fhe nearly the yearsand pour in 40,000 {oop to bea farmers in the Boer War. ‘On three sides South Mia i pro tected by vast oceans. It has a smal bat tmobile nay. For example, thee sub Imarines the country's fist—are now eng builtin France: The airforce has a Suntron of Buceaneer attacker alrrat ‘Gigned for coastal defene, and a radat Screen with arange of more than 200 miles fs being bt along the coast. "A conventional land stack from the north would be almost as dificult. South ‘Afica and is alles would operate overdein South AMica Last year the goverment established the 10 milion ‘Armaments Development & Production Corporation to foster manufacture of Wighly sophisticated weaponry such as ‘aval venels and large ieaft ‘South Africa docs not have atomic weapons as no plans to make them, sd ‘eunltely to need them to dfet the sort of attacks It can expect. But it has the Scseuiand indusral capability .o make Sich weapons-—and.qulckly—should 1 ’As feng men, South Africans are comparable 19 the Avstralins, and far Siperor to other Afian peoples. They fre more individualist than the Drish, find are at their best when operating in Sil its out in the bush—tat under the very counter-qerila condition that they are most key to have to face Internationally, South Affe isnot as folated as it sometimes scons. The Republic has many traditional tes, to foeh lands as Brian and the US, and the Continent of Europe ‘Statgicaly, the Repulicis important to the West It dominates the major sea Foute from Europe tothe East Its the leading military power in Asc, and the ‘only one which could providea secure and fective base for any major iniaive Simed a containing Communism on land in Aitca or at se in the Wester Indi ‘Ocean. Key American and Frosch space ‘tacking faites ae located there ‘Economical, the Republic is also important Iti Dian’ largest single Source of foreign invesinent income and the send or third largest export marke (Gdocording to the year) TiS the words welt bigzestfmporer—arich and fast ‘rowing patket And it fea major source ‘ot exential materil ‘South, Africa's overt or covert bods of fendship stretch out to Black Africa, foo. Tough they disagree with the Republic's race policy, many Aian Teaders realize, not only Wat they are Top: Bantu pupils pursuing their studies in a well-equipped library. Right: The control systom of the ‘Sasol gas plant stuated on the ‘Vaal River near Sasolburg. Below: The gas plant at Sasol, one (of the biggest chemical plants in outhern hemisphers. comparatively short and ecient lines of ‘communication fom strong bases, 2 potential vader over extremely Long and ‘oor lines from improvised bases, "The. air force — tradtionally the country’s strongest aem-is spearheaded by at least two. squadrons of mult ‘purpose, 1500 mph, French built Mirage TICs ableto operate as ihters, bombers, ‘round aac, or reconnaissance airrat ‘Thobulk ofthe ext of he force consist of Tighe tactical ground attack airrafl, i cluding locally built Impala es, Radar screos and ground-o-ir missles protect the major ites from den air attack. ‘C-130_ and Nord transport panes and French Super Frlos find Aloe. belicopers ive sround ress great mabily-a S00:man wit of rack "fre. brigade” troops can be ‘alvered anywhere inthe country in 90 (Ground fores actually underarms at ny tne comprise 4 10.000-man pro fessional army, the current intake of more than 20,000 consripts, and the 30,000- man, police force But within hours ts possbl to mobilize the 15,000-man police Feerve, the 80,000-nan commando” nits Gomething Uke Britain's old Terrie orils), and a. cin force" reserve made up of men who have completed ther flame ational sevice 1a time of eri, the Republi would have no iil Gelding 20,000 trained ren in 8 mater of days. They would be well equipped with tans, fast armoured ears, rockets, FN rapid fie rifles, and machine-guns. Much of this equipment is alreadybeing but 10 nations ike Malas] “The virtues and vices of the nineteenth century, harnessed to the techniques and broader hopes of the twentieth.”