Evening star., 1960-04-09
AFRICA
White Gunmon Wounds
Race Segregation Leader
AFRICA
Cnnfinned Ernn.

Continued From First Page
opening the farm and trade fail
marking the 50th anniversary
of the Union of South Africa.
Will Continue Fight
mo country in the world can
tread on the corpse of a fellow
nation, Mr.. Verwoerd said.
I'VE shall not be killed. We
shall become nobody's corpse.
We shall fight for our existence
and we shall survive"
Mr.. Verwoerd pronounced
fehr-foortD said South Africa
is the Dark Continents most
developed country prepared
to serve in Africa and cooper
ate with any state IN the world.
white or black"
But, he added. I'VE believe
that our good fellowship in in
dustrial life should be recipro-
Gated"
The Prime Minister said the
history of South Africa was one
of crisis. but out of every crisis
was born greater achievement.
What South Africa is expert
Iencing today will mean not de-
feat but greater progress in
every sphere of the nations
life, he said.
He did not refer directly to
the current racial crisis.
Looked Over Cattle
The gray-haired executive, 6
feet 2. strolled away from the
stand for a while to look over
cattle entries. sturdy breeds
that are the pride of South
African farmers.
Then he walked back smil-
ing to the platform and, chat
ting amiably with his wife, sat
down to watch the cattle pa
rade into the arena.
1t was ironical that he was
shot by a white man rather
than a member of the black
population that has felt the
sting of his policies.
The gunman. reported with
out confirmation to have been
connected with the exposition,
ran up the steps and fired two
shots at Mr.. Verwoerd as the
Prime Minister sat beside a
table. An Afrikaner official said
the assailant was IAN Engels-
man (Englishman)."
Believed to Be Farmer
The South African Press
Association said the gunman
apparently was a farmer from
the northern Transvaal Prov
ince.
South African whites are
largely of British and Dutch
descent, with the latter gen.
orally the more solid support
ers of apartheid.
The assailant appeared to
say nothing before he halted
before Mr.. Verwoerd and opened
up at close range.
Somebody punched the gun
man. Two white policemen
and two exposition officials
seized him as he fed. There
was a glazed expression in his
eyes as he struggled to get
away. A few whites attempted
to hit him. A crowd sur
rounded the police car that
carried him away and shouted
insults at him.
Dignitaries around Mr.. Ver-
woerd, including Johannes
burg's Mayor Alec Gorshel.
stretched the Prime Minister
out at full length on a row of
seats to await the arrival of
the ambulance.
Asked Not to Panic
please keep your seats
don't panic" said the arena
loudspeaker. AN unfortunate
accident has happened.
please stay away from the
Prime Minister'S box"
Two South African stafmen
of the Associated Press, Henri
Jonker and Adrian Porter. were
present when Mr.. Verwoerd
was shot. They were among
newsmen assigned to cover the
exposition's opening.
Never before in South Africa's S
history has an attempt been
made to aSsassinate a prime
minister.
Greater Tension Feared
The attempt is certain to
heighten the tension in a ma
ton already shaken by the vio-
lent reaction of the outside
world to the shooting and club
bing of Negroes by police in sup
pressing campaigners against