European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 09, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page in columns Anthony Lewis the stars and stripes monday december 9, 1985 in fed safes must support change in South Africa a imsp\ss1un a. Of Erm of Stulll . If 1 1ltc Utic Mill .1 la la would see one in turbulent pc it i o Monifi no Hen. Ivi nut .111 Hii there is tax in Climi Inerris. Non a \ life .1 bused a ,5% n Vire or be denied us political ilk a the lir Riv 1 is a tin mini Mien mini spukt1 it a tvs. T i m 12 fac to shut in the police in he nor tip of i or 25 ears. She been banned , forbidden to speak in pub Lic pm slip Elt Able o def Liat ban. Because the government Diphl fear in mine against her lest it arouse Cen More resent Iliili and violence. It the int Mnina when i i i. The president of Ilie new Congress of South to tic t Nimis. Called in foreign companies and Sei a is Rno Nih deadline for in end to apartheid and while minor ii Rule such a bold Tser Ion of Union Power in politics would have been impossible \ near ago. Air. This confronts americano pics with an urgent Challenge. It is i Challenge of self interest How do we As social e ourselves with the profound move ment thai is taking place mow do we help Tuv Nguc to conic to u thai eventually will produce an economically and socially ecu Liliy South Africa Friendly to the United slates 1 he Mosi obvious retirement is to identify the United states with the pro Cess of change with the end of racism. That seems so elementary that it should nol have to be said. But it docs because . Policy Over the last five years has alienated the Black majority in South Africa to an astounding degree. The Reagan Walior policy of constructive engagement with the White government was designed to wheedle it into making reforms. Blacks sat Pretoria happily accepting Friendly american Ges Tures ind making no real changes. They concluded thai inc untied Stales was giving the White regime legitimacy the record is Laid out in an article in he new Issue of foreign affair Maga Ine by Sanford j. Ungar and Peter a sle in a Lio in v.i\s, sub Stan Tom Wicker what upon t mow won t hurtus., live and in courtesies the United slates in recent years has offended South Afri can Blacks. Many now refuse even to at tend . Diplomatic functions. Of course the United Stales must re Laic to inc present government of South Africa constructively. But it is the simplest common sense that american officials and diplomats should also be relat ing to the Blacks who will play an important part in South Africa s future. The Ungar Vule article makes Concrete suggestions on How to overcome the pre sent deep suspicion of the United slates they All involve identifying this country with what arc Afler nil our own cherished values democracy Law free Trade unions respect for human rights Educa Tion without racial discrimination. To be effective. American gestures to Ward Black aspirations have to involve a certain risk. They will have to displease Pretoria. Things May have to be said or done Many times Ungar and Vale say before they arc believed or credited by disillusioned a step has been taken by inc Scapin administration in just that direction. Tim Othy m. Carney political Counselor at the . Embassy in Pretoria attended inc funeral in Mam Elodi. As did 10 other Western diplomats. It was the first time an official american representative had gone to one of the mass burials that have become Eon Imon during the protests and police repression of inc last year with Mure than Koo Blacks killed so far. The Mam Elodi funeral had particular significance. On nov. 21. Some 50,000 Blacks most of them women marched on government offices there just 10 Miles from Pretoria to demand the withdrawal of troops occupying the township. Police fired into the crowd Many of those buried this past week were shot in the Back. Police action of that kind or the continuing detentions and reported torture arc not going to stabilize the situation in its old pattern of White dominance. That is obvious now to Many in South Africa including some restless members of the government. It also is plainly Clear to the foreign Bankers who Are negotiating with Pretoria about its $24 billion in foreign debt. The Bankers Are nol going to agree to rescheduling unless there is meaningful change in South Africa. The United states has Only limited influence on a Venus in South Africa. Hut it can at least put itself clearly an the Side of change. Cd hey re Morison s conviction sets a dangerous precedent my Are press associations Hosit Uin to join the lit prided to Jane a which were reprinted widely. Cyl he was charged convicted and sentenced under provisions of the espionage act the first time a convict lion under that act has been obtained for actions like Morison s. The resulting precedent turns a Law against real spies the kind who apparently have been operating effectively within the Security establishment for years into a Jerry build official secrets acl. Congress has consistently refused to pass such a Law which would be aimed at preventing and or punishing the Public release of classified information. This is or by of extreme importance to the press. If it is a crime to make classified information available to the Public As the Morison precedent suggests the government s ability to conceal any information greatly increased Jum classify it. What Lher secrecy is warranted or not and the threat of criminal networks and not Xiy has prose Mcd he said no not in this Case because the id Clity of the whistle Blower was never in question. Bui suppose inc govern ment did not know who had released Hie classified in formation in such an event the government could demand the it a publication or broadcaster or a reporter or editor identify the source of leaked material. If that person or persons refused to do so they could be Orde cd to b v a court if they still refused they could be jailed for cont Mph of court As numerous reporters who protected the identity of a source have been jailed so the Morison pros culion and conviction is in fact a lethal double edged sword it threatens Bolh whistle Blower and reporter with imprisonment for serving in Public s right to know. B n not Only has Congress refused to adopt that kind of that s because inc government already has too Many people classifying Loo much information whether or not it is truly sensitive and us few Security officers to Clear with sufficient competence the millions of govern Nierri employees who icon inc Access to classified information. Yes millions. In june 1985. 330,000 people were cleared fur confidential information. 3.5 million for secret. 600,000 for lop secret and 100,000 for sen Sivc information. A plications for new clearances were coming in at the Rale of 200,000 a year and government employees were being re checked . Only about every 17 years. The Morison Case probably will increase the Iasmi cation of documents in order to make it a crime to release them As Well As the number of persons re Quiring clearances. That will make it harder to identify inc moles within but leaders and reporters beware. C new York times
