Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1962-03-03
Continued From Page One)

the stroke Of a pen.
Southern Rhodesia is to,
close to the Republic of South
Africa, too much part of the
cemented southern white bloc
of Africa, and too closely bound
by the sef-conscious settler
mentality to evolve into a null
tiracial society overnight.
But there is no doubt that the
foundations of this white So
ciety, established in the middle
of Black Africa by the British
South Africa Company and pi-
oneered by empire builder
Cecil Rhodes, are shifting.
Revolutionary changes in the
law, virtually abolishing the
last vestiges OF legal racial dig
elimination, which Sir Edgar
Whitehead, Prime Minister,
will put to the electorate in
I. October have put Southern
Rhodesia in spot.
The colony is to be givel
its last opportunity to show the
world that black and white can
live together in harmony in a
country surrounded by a sea
of racialism.
The black mans dilemma
ranges around the ownership
of land, education, and politi-
cal expression, all old and
well-worn problems interre-
lated by a circle which also
embraces the question for
which there is no textbook
answer: the personal relation
ships between the black man
and the white man.
Legally, all hotels, bars, and
restaurants in Southern Rho
desia are open to all races. For
the once last-ditch settler
colony, the legislation which
produced this change was re-
garded as drastically liberal.
But some hotels which cater
largely TO the white working
class closed their doors to
Africans after some had been
involved in incidents with
their white customers. Whether
the government likes the term
or not, hoteliers who close
their doors to Africans are still
practicing apartheid similar in
every way to the South
African race policy.
Most observers say there is
one sure cure for this attitude
of white against black, an atti-
tude which is apparent in many
other facets of social life. 1T
is to outlaw discrimination.
But this may ALLEVIATE white
support for Sir Edgar White
head. And the Prime Minister
is already facing criticism that
he is going too far too fast.
Under Southern Rhodesia's
changed constitution, which
fails to appease the African
nationalist's cry of lone man
one vote" but does broaden
the franchise, Sir Edgar hopes
that some $4,000 Africans will
qualify for the voters roll and
that most of them will vote for
his United Federal Party.
Sir Edgar's critics think diff
ferently. They say that his as
sessment of support is inaccu-
rate and that his estimate of
the number of African voters
is even more off target. But
the broadened franchise in
effect means that in many
constituencies candidates will
have to pander to African de-
mands rather than risk losing
their seats.
Judging from correspondence
in the newspapers, white opin-'
ion in Southern Rhodesia is
more divided now than it was
last June, when the territory
voted in a referendum for
Whitehead's new constitutional
Sir Edgar Whitehead is tack
ling the practical problem OF
discrimination in land owner
ship with a dissection of dis
criminatory measures in tho
Land Apportionment Act, which:
he promises to repeal after tho
October general election.
But African education in
Southern Rhodesia needs moro
than a boost from Sir Edgar
on his United Federal Party
1t would cost more than E40,
100000 (about $112,000,000|
which is double the colony'|
budget) to educate every eligiI
BILE African child in the colon!
up to the same standard as thu
European. Overseas aid is OBJ
viously the answer if the proc1
ess is to be improved, and
speeded up. AS it is, African!
schools are crammed full, and
the $4,000 pupils who leav{
African schools every veal
pose a massive unemployment
problem.
Even if money spent on Eul
ropean and African education
were to BE pooled and shared
the benefit to the African child
would probably be slight. Bu|
European parents would prob
ably choose to send their chill
dren to schools in South Africa
even to expose their childret
to nationalist indoctrination i i
the republic rather than acceu|
what they believe would b
lowered standards of education
or integrated schools.