Struggle for Power Looms in
By NEIL J. SMITH i Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd. During i country's problems has not en-, many English-speakine officers
o
United Press International
JOHANNESBURG. South Af
rica (UPI) A bitter behind - the -
scenes struggle for power may
be going on within the seeming'
ly monolithic ranks of South Af'
rica's ruling National Party. Ra
cial policies are among the is
sues. j Vorstcr's recent public pro-
Political observers say the two nouncements present a consist
chief protagonists are tough, de- ent picture of a hard, tough
termined Justice Minister John j minded man. seemingly imper
Balthazar Vorster. and Defense vious to criticism.
Minister Jim Fouche. I In recent weeks he has:
At stake, according to political j Hinted at plans to try polit
sources, is the No. 2 place in I ical refugees in absentia.
the National Party and possible
succession to the Premiership.
Vorster, at 47 one of the
youngest men in the cabinet, is
Uie architect of most of . the
country's much-criticized secur
ity legislation. Among the meas
ures which he inspired and pi
loted through parliament are the
house arrest regulations (de
scribed as "civil death" by op
position leader Sir De Villiers
Graaff), the extension of the
death sentence to certain "sab
otage" offenses and the ninety
day "jail without trial" law
which enables police to hold sab
otage suspects indefinitely for
questioning.
He has the reputation of being
the iron man in the cabinet of
Non-Voting Citizen Subject
Of Study by Federal Group
By NEIL A. MARTIN
. United Press International
' WASHINGTON (UPD-Was
It apathy, economics, out-dated
voting laws or just plain
laziness that kept 37.5 million
Americans away from the
polls in the I960 presidential
elections?
A report being drafted by
the President's commission on
registration and voting partici
pation hopes to answer this
question next month.
The commission has been
studying the phenomenon of
the non-voting citizen for the.
past seven months. It will
present its findings to Presi
dent Kennedy Nov. 30. It has
discovered, among other
things,that the greatest per
centage of non-voters is in the
21-to-30 year age bracket and
that Sundays or holidays, when
Uie average voter is free,
might be the best days to hold
elections.
Concern Is Expressed
Mr. Kennedy, former Presi
dent Dwight D. Eisenhower
and many national leaders
were deeply concerned by the
fact that only 65 per cent of
the electorate voted in 1960
and only 48 per cent went to
the polls in the congressional
tests last year.
Although slightly better than
the 1956 presidential election
turnout, political experts said
the voting percentages seem
ed to indicate that indiffer
ence has permeated the elec
torate over the past lew dec
ades. Only recently, Eisenhower
urged that state election laws
be modernized. He said that
what was needed was "a less
complicated, more streamlin
ed" voting system ?hat would
attract more voters to the
polls and end one-party (Dem
ocratic) domination in south
ern states.
Decreases Arc Recorded
Between 1940 and I960,
eleven states recorded de
creases in the number of eli
gible voters who actually went
to the polls.
In some western states, such
as Nevada and Colorado, the
drop has been as much as 5
to 10 per cent. In 1920, Ken
tucky had a 71.2 per cent ac
tive electorate, compared with
its 59.2 per cent voting record
in I960.
In contrast to the U.S. vot
ing record, there was a 90 per
cent voting turn out in the
Italian elections this year and
better than 80 per cent aver
ages in Great Britain. Austria
and West Germany. And even
the one-party Soviet Union re
ported a record 99.9S per cent
turnout in its 1962 election for
deputies to the Supreme So
viet (Parliament).
Should Do Bettrr
"Naturally, no free nation
could ever hope to compete
with the record of a totali
tarian country." Donald G.
Herzberg. staff director of Mr
Kennedy's commission, told
UPI. "But in a nation, such
as the United States, where
the principles of democracy
can only be sustained by an
active and interested elector
ate, we should be able to do
a lot better."
When the President estab
lished the commission last
March, he requested that spe
cial emphasis be placed on
four areas: laws which handi
cap registration and voting
on the basis of economic stat
us, residence and other fac
tors; state registi)ion pro
cedures; absentee voting regu
lations; and. other reasons
why qualified people fail &
vote.
The commission has receiv
ed countless leitsrs. suggv
tions and complains from citi-
I a)
W orld War II he was imprisoned
- for security reasons by the war-
; time government of General Jon
i Smuts. Now he directs South
Africa's internal security in a
new type war: the struggle
against hostile non-while forces
- ' within South Africa
I Threatened to take even
more drastic steps against sub
versive elements "regardless of
criticism, no matter from what
source."
People Who Send Lies
Said there should be a law
to bring before the courts "peo
ple who send lies about South
Africa into the world."
Told the multi-racial Pro
gresivo Party's sole member of
Parliament, Mrs. Helen Suzman,
"I am reluctant to give you in
formation on security matters
as it may end up in the wrong
hands."
Many political observers see
Vorster as the natural successor
to Premier Verwoerd, although
his iron-fisted approach to the
zens who have found voting
impediments in their states.
Unsolicited suggestions have
ranged from giving away
"arp,;n stamps" to distributing
"I-Have-Voted" buttons in an
attempt to woo the American
voter from his shell of indiffer
ence. Variety of Handicaps
The commission's initial
studies have revealed a varie
ty of technical and procedural
handicaps faced by voters in
many states.
In New York, a resident
who takes a vacation during
an election, cannot vote by
absentee ballot. In Texas, a
person has to register nine
months before an election in
order to vote. In New Jersey,
a resident moved across the
street during an election peri
od and found himself disquali
fied because he unknowingly
had changed districts. More
than 15 states still require
some form of literacy test
which is applied arbitrarily in
some areas.
Herzberg argued that many
slate election and registration
laws are out-dated.
Mobility Increases
"Our country has increased
its mobility greatly," he said.
"We fly from New York to
California, ocean to ocean in
no time at all. We don't grow
up and live in the same area
we started in. Yet, our elec
tion laws are not taking this
into account."
In a review of state laws,
the commission has found that
one-third of the states require
voters to register more than
a month before a national
election. Virginia, Alabama,
Arkansas and Texas still have
poll taxes which must be paid
anywhere from six months to
two years before an election.
Alabama, South Carolina and
Mississippi require two years
of residency before a person
can vote.
Richard M. Scammon, di
rector of the Bureau of Census
and commission chairman,
said may state registration
laws were vestiges of days
when "buggy whips were a
PLAYING
V
Regular
Wist
135 5rV.
Ph.
O
deared him to moderate South
Africans.
Has Milder Attitude
Defense Minister Jim Fouche,
on the other hand, has the mild
er, paternalistic attitudes of the
old-time Nationalists. He be
lieves racial separation must be
tempered with the white man's
justice. He came to the cabinet
after a highly successful term
as administrator (governor) of
the overwhelmingly Afrikaans
speaking Orange Free State
province. During his term he
became a popular figure with
the English-speaking minority.
Political circles believe that if
there were ever a political re
alignment among South Africa's
whites, Fouche could become
the leader of a new grouping
commanding widespread sup
port among conservatives of
both language groups.
Fouche has added to his repu
tation through his handling of
the difficult defense portfolio.
Under his guidance the South
African armed forces have been
put into top fighting trim until
they are now the best equipped
and most effective fighting force
in Africa south of the Sahara.
He has also managed to elimi
nate the political influences that
in earlier years resulted in
big industry and high button
shoes the latest style.
"With modern methods of
printing and record keeping,"
he added, "it is unreasonable
to close registrations months
before election day."
Scammon noted that Iowa,
which has consistently had the
nation's highest voter turnout,
permits its citizens to register
up to two days before an elec
tion. Absentee voting regulations
in many states, the commis
sion has found, are a major
voting hindcrance for millions
of businessmen, civil service
employees, servicemen, col
lege students and others who
are out-of-state during an elec
tion. Have Absentee Lawn
All states except New Mexi
co and South Carolina have
absentee voting laws but in
many states, the commission
said, compliance exceeds the
patience and desire of the av
erage voter. Also, many vot
ers cannot afford to or do not
want to pay the various regis
tration fees or the few remain
ing state poll taxes.
Proposals to eliminate sev
eral of these barriers are now
before Congress. In addition,
a constitutional amendment to
outlaw the poll tax is only
two votes shy of the 38-state
majority needed for ratifica
tion. School Drop-Out
Grants Received
SALEM (UPI) - Portland
School District No. 1, and Mil
waukee District No. 5 have re
ceived Federal grants to plan
projects to combat the high
school drop-out problem.
R. R. Wippel. director of voca
tional rehabilitation in the State
Department of Education, said
the Portland district received
$8,000 and the Milwaukee dis
trict $4,900.
The grants were made by the
Federal Vocational Rehabilation
Administration.
Both districts will conduct a
three-month study.
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MEDFORD
many fcnglish-speaking officers of Johannesburg published sen-, merely a repetition of stale i stop snide attacks in each oth-1 Party youth meeting in Pre
resigning after they were over- sational details of the case. They j news, he said. j er's racial policies. He said all toria. His subject was equality
looked for promotion. said a certain high-ranking offi-1 Long-time political commen-, political parties are trying to i between the races.
But it is unexpected trouble in'
the defense department jn.MSH8.4ixi) commission ' from
formed sources sav that has a8en,s of an unnamed European j
given a clue to the internal strife ' lirm in relurn for ke' arms con- j
in the National Party. acls. i
Police (who fall under Justice i Qu0,e Srnior '"'' I
Minister Vorslers department) ! Thev quoted senior detectives !
are currently investieaiine an ! as savinE this presents only a '
arms purchasing scandal involv-1
ing high-ranking armv officers 1
and civilian employees of the , stories.
defense department. The scan-1 The following day, in an al
dal, said to have "tremendous" ; most unprecedented move. De-
ramifications, reportedly relates
to huge bribes offered by mu
nitions manufacturers in West
Germany, Britain. Belgium,
Fiance and Italy to secure lu
crative South African defense
contracts.
Recently two pro-government
newspapers "Die Burger" of
Capetown and "Die Transvaler"
114 West Main Street
MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD.
: : :
Ranks
of Johannesburg published sen -
cer had received 106.000 rands
tiny part of the scandal. Neither
newspaper gave a source of the
fense Minister Fouche issued an
angry statement accusing the
two newspapers of "sensation
mongering." He said neither
paper had approached him for
details, and had they done so
he could have told them that the
police investigations followed a
recent corruption case heard in
open court. Their reports were
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OREGON
sindav, October . ia -
of South African Ruling Party
, merely a rendition nf , mn Sniri .u.. in .0,.k ,i. i r .. . . ...
talors said it was the first oc-!
casion iney couici recall wnen a
National cabinet minister pub-.
'ic' - v aMat'k"d the party press. I
Had Been Leaked
The speculated that the "dis-
closures" had been deliberately i
leaked to the newspapers by top I
police sources, or hifher. In any j
event, it was obvious thev had '
caused great embarrassment to
the Ministry of Defense.
Within three weeks Fouche
was in the news again. Inter
viewed by the Afrikaans Sunday
newspaper Die Stem, he dis
agreed that the white man is in 1
any way superior to the African.
Education and historical devel
opment account for differences
between the races, he said.
Fouche went on to urge South
Africans of opposing views to
solve the racial problem, and
that the non-whites, too, are
striving for a solution. National
unity had been proved possible
between Afrikaans and English-
f!?akin,R hi'e South Africans.
Through mutual trust in future
ne same. ml8h' Pf. Posible be-
tv'ecn wnile and blat South
Africans.
Moderate and Liberal
Fouche's interview was one of
the most moderate and liberal
utterances to come from a cab
inet minister in many years.
The Progressive Party stated
bluntly that he was favoring a
multi-racial solution of South Af
rica's problems.
The Fouche interview was
published on a Sunday. On the
Monday night Justice Minister
Vorster addressed a National
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must stand fast
against it."
The timing of the speech may
have been coincidental. But
some observers saw it as a pub
lic rebuke to a cabinet col
league showing "soft" tenden
cies toward the racial problem
in South Africa.
Express, Inc.
spirit. We
V
(9)