World news
Nation nearly incapacitated
by anti-apartheid strikers
JOHANNESBURG, South Afrit. (AF) _
Millions of blacks stayed away from jobs and
rchools Thursday, crippling factories, mines
and stores in the largest anti-apartheid protest
in South African history.
The nationwide strike, demanding in part
that May Day la* declared a national holiday,
signaled a powerful new organizational
strength among black workers, students and
civic groups in the campaign for equal rights.
An academic monitoring group said at
least 1.5 million workers, and possibly many
more, struck for the day in the nation's four
largest cities alone. A government spokesman
also estimated at least 1 million urtian black
students boycotted classes for the day. „
Beyond those 2.5 million strikers, there
was no way to calculate how many others left
school and work for the day in rural areas and
the nation's 10 tribal homelands, scenes of tur
moil in recent months ° . ' .
The national Associated Chambers of
Commerce reported "massive absence from
work" across the country, ranging from 70 to
100 percent. The black workforce is estimated
at more than fi million in a population of 24
million.
Both Vincent Brett, manpower director for
the chamber, and Professor Eddie Webster,
head of the academic monitor group, agreed
the strike was the largest ever in South Africa.
In Port Elizabeth in eastern Cape Province,
researcher Clen Adler said a survey of 86 com
panies showed that just six of 11,000 black
employees turned up.
Thousands of. mixed-race people joined
the strike and many Asians dosed their shops,
in sympathy. Supermarkets tried tQ cope with
white staff, but checkout counters were
jammed. . •' •
Transport to and from townships halted as
bus, train and taxf drivers joined the strike. “
Most companies adopted a policy of “no work,
no pay, no penalty." ; ° •
Senators demand inspection of reactor
WASHINGTON (AP) — Throw senators have
cal laid fora review of the Hanford. Wash., nuclear
' .„rese°rvirt ion's N* Reactin' the only:li.Si’ reactor
which has a graphite c:6re and no containment
* building.* •
Tho senators' demand. In the wake of the
disaster at a Soviet reactor that has some of the
same design features, came Wednesday from Sen.
. • Mark Hatfield,-R-Ofe.. and both of Washington’s
senators. Republicans Slade Gorton and Dan
• • Kvans: '•' v - >i; ■;
Meanwhile, an Oregon congressman said
.
that a federalDepartment ..of “Energy budget re
quest. indicates the ,reactor’s'cool.ing system-may
not withstands"severe earthquake' But Hanford's
operations.manager Mid’Wednesday that there
quesl did not inean; Hanford is unsafe, and noted
that the request was a small part of the facility’s
budget.; : <■./.*V.
A second Hanford document, a "Conceptual
Design Report" prepared a year ago by UNG
Nuclear Industries, which operates the N reactor
for the IX)K, warned of-"serious deterioration" in
valve discs at the reactor.
Radiation levels decrease;
Soviets reject offers of aid
MOSCOW (AP) — The Soviet
Union told a nervous world
Thursday that radiation from
the nuclear plant disaster was
decreasing, but one of its
diplomats said other countries
should not relax because the
"accident is not over."
The Kremlin presented a calm
face, rejecting offers of help
from the. United States and
Other countries, but an interna
tional bone-marrow transplant
organization said its offer to aid
victims.had been accepted.
Traditional May; Day parades
werfe held as usual, including
One in Kiev;• the Ukrainian city
. of ,2,4 million only, .80 miles
■. from the Chernobyl power plant
where a reactor caught fire Fri
day. 5 State television showed
colorfully dressed folk dancers
: performing there/ : ‘
The cause of.the accident has
not been • revealed.• but' when
asked; Thursday if it ~ was a
meltdown of the reactor core.
/■Soviet radiation expert Pavel
Ramzaev said. "I suppose that
is so /’
Th^re were conflicting
* reports about whether the reac
tor fire had been extinguished.
U.S. Intelligence sources had
said Wednesday in Washington
that it still raged and could burn
for weeks.
Vitaly Churkin, second
secretary of the Soviet Embassy
in Washington, testifying before
a House of Representatives sub
committee Thursday, was asked
whether the fire had been put
out. He said, “I don’t know,”
and added, “The accident is not
over with. That is clear. We
have not told other countries
that everything is OK and they
can relax."
The U.S. Agriculture Depart
ment said shifting winds were
carrying a radioactive plume
from the stricken plant over the
rich farmland of the western
Ukraine and into Romania,
Hungary, eastern
Czechoslovakia and Austria.
Poland reported less fallout
than in previous days, but said
radioactivity levels in water and
soil remained high.
The Soviet government said
only:. "Efforts to implement a
complex of technical measures
continued at the Chernobyl
nuclear power station (NPS) in
the duration of April 30. The
radioactivity on the territory of
the NPS and the NPS’ settle
ment dropped 1.5-2 times.
The “settlement" is Pripyat.
a town of 25.000 built at the
plant site.
Officially, the casualty toll is
two dead and 197 injured, but
Secretary- of State George P.
Shultz said it was higher "by
good measure."
An Israeli amateur radio
operator in Tel Aviv said a
Soviet ham told him there were
300 casualties, but how many
were dead was riot clear.
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