Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1978)
Journalist blasts investors By WILLIAM KOGUT Of the Emerald “If a college has to depend on investment in South Africa for its continuance, it doesn’t deserve to continue,” said Donald Woods, white South African dissident journalist at the EMU ballroom Monday night. "Some college administrators have a lot of objections to divest ing their universities of South Afri can investments,” Woods said. “First they say, Our job isn't to make foreign policy, we just want to maximize our investments.” “I say if that’s the way you feel, why don’t you invest in brothels and drugs?The fact is, every dol lar invested in South Africa results in taxes for the government, a government that considers any one slightly to the left of Ghenghis Khan a radical.” By investing, Woods said, con trary to what corporations say, the black man isn’t really helped. Less than one percent of the black workforce works for Ameri can corporations, he said, adding that those corporations employ mostly whites. American corporations may have integrated canteens, but the black leaders are not impressed, Woods said. Blacks ask where are their Western friends? For 20 years they have futilely begged the West not to block UN sanctions on South Africa.” Now, he said, the blacks are ready to take help from the Russians and Cubans. "The Rus sians and Cubans don’t have in vestments here, have not blocked the sanctions, and help is help, no matter where it comes from," Woods quoted black leaders as saying. Unless the United States and Britain apply pressure, Woods claimed, bloodshed will erupt and the U.S. and Britain will cer tainly feel the repercussions of that upheaval. It may already be too late for sanctions to work, he said. Woods has opposed apartheid in print since 1960 and as editor of The Daily Dispatch in South Africa vigorously criticized the system until he so angered the govern ment that he was last fall banned-made a non-person. He was confined to his house and kept under strict surveillance, forbidden to write even so much as a postcard. Nevertheless, Woods wrote in secret. While stili in South Africa he wrote “ Biko,' a history of apar theid and a biography of his friend Steve Biko, the martyred South African black freedom movement leader. In a scenario reminiscent of a spy-thriller the 45-year-old Woods, his wife and two young daughters escaped from South Africa on New Year's Eve 1977. One reason for his flight from his homeland was an incident that occured in November of 1977. His five year old daughter, Mary, received aT-shirt through the mail and when she tried it on, her eyes began to burn. The T-shirt had been impregnated with an acid irritant. The T-shirt,* Woods later learned, had been sent by an Af rikaner security police officer. Presently Woods is a Neiman Fellow at Harvard. EL COMEDOR MEXICAN RESTAURANT Photo by Erich Boekelhetde Donald Woods Campus Copy M—F 8 to 8 S 9 to 5 QU LITY PRINTING WHILE YOU WAIT AND SELF-SERVICE COPYING 762 East 13th Ave. Eugene, Oregon 97401 General Electric Recorders — the name speaks for itself^t 3-9Q9U Pushbutton cas sette recorder with AC conver ter and dual microphone sys tem Sugg. Retail $39.95. Our Price $35.95 3-5225 Compact AM/FM radio cassette re corder with AC con verter. Features one button recording system with built-in condenser micro phone. Sugg. Retail $79.95. Our Price $71.95 3-5308 Miniature push button cassette re corder with built-in microphone, pause and auto stop. Subb. Retail $59.95. Our Price $53.95 GEN ERAL^fip ELECTRIC A.C.E. Buy of the Month Intermagnetics Tape The perfect note taker! 90 Minutes 3-5206 AM/FM cassette re corder with pushbut ton AC/DC operation. Sugg. Retail $59.95. Our Price: $53.95 BOOKSTORE 13th & Kincaid 686-4331 Open: Mon.-Fri. 8:15-5:30 Sat. 10:00-2:00 your "Advanced Campus Electronics” Center
