African Nightmare

America has come to regard political oppression in Europe's colonies in terms of the Cold War, rather than our own revolutionary origin. Though many condemn this rather cold-blooded approach, few can fail to understand it.

Right now, the worst example of vicious oppression this side of the iron curtain is in the Union of South Africa. And, Juckily, it has nothing to do with Communism and Russian imperialism. The situation is clear-cut, localized, and appalling.

Since the British Empire acquired control of South Africa half a century ago, under the leadership of Cecil Rhodes and by means of massive military superiority, its policy has changed from ruthless persecution of the natives to paternalism and a tendency toward actual reform. First the British reduced the huge native population to the most abject squalor and poverty by stealing its land and developing industries by exploiting the vast oversupply of labor. They even accentuated the latter by importing thousands of Indian laborers.

But the stench of their handiwork has turned their stomach. Of late, the British residents have devoted a great deal of effort to repair some of the damage. They even went so far as to extend the franchise to "coloreds" men of mixed native and European ancestry.

The Boers are a little different. Fifty-six years ago, in Following the Equator, Mark Twain described the Boer as: "deeply religious, profoundly ignorant, dull, obstinate, bigoted ...proud of his Dutch and Huguenot origin and its religious and military history . . . He has stood stock still in South Africa for two centuries and a half, and would like to stand still till the end of time."

The recent behavior of the Boer-dominated Nationalist government justifies Twain's contempt. It exemplifies a deep and virulent racism which would put the Confederacy to shame. Now a desire to deprive the British-dominated United Party of its support from the "coloreds" in the already overdue national election has driven Prime Minister Malan to extremes.

First, the Nationalist majority in Parliament revoked the extension of franchise to non-Europeans. The Supreme Court promptly overruled them, since the constitution expressly requires a two-thirds vote to alter the franchise. Now the Nationalists are in the process of setting up a "Parliamentary Court," which could reverse the Supreme Court on constitutional matters.

Meanwhile, persecution of the natives is moving along at an ever increasing pace. As a single example, the native residents of Johannesburg have been ordered to leave the city and set up new all-African suburbs outside. They will not even be allowed to own the land they live on--thirty year leases are the limit.

If the Nationalists retain both their oppressive policies and their power, native rebellion seems the most likely and perhaps the only possible result. The European population of the Union is infinitesimal. Above all, it is split. The Torch Commando, a rapidly growing and already huge organization dedicated to the preservation of democratic and liberal government, includes both natives and Europeans. It numbers in its ranks six former justices of the Supreme Court, many former high army officers and government officials, and other influential and basically conservative citizens.

The United Party may win the election, if the government ever schedules it. But if the Nationalists win, and if they are thrown out by armed revolution, there should be little sympathy for them in America.