European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 27, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes saturday september 27,1986 columns Tom Wicker democrats May put Reagan s veto threat to test one Day president Rejaian tells the United nations Genera Assembly Hal he is ready now to Lake two important Steps toward limiting nuclear testing the next Day he cells Congress hell veto some House approved arms control provisions including a one year moratorium on All but the smallest nuclear less. There s less conflict Here than meets inc Eye one of the Steps Reagan kind the United nations he was ready now to Lake was ratification of two existing Tissl Trealice once agreement is reached on improved verification that s been Ilic bar Rier Ever since Cagan has been in office the russians Lav improved verification in t needed. But once these Irealius Are ratified and if there s also a program id reduce and ultimately eliminate All nuclear weapons that s a big if indeed Rea Gan said he would then be prepared to discuss ways to implement a slip by Siep parallel program of limiting and ultimately ending nuclear testing. Being ready now to Lake such Steps As those with the second depending on not one but two Multi Matulys commits Reagan Only to moonbeams and gobbledygook. But the House s ban on nuclear tests of More than one Kiloton is the real thing beginning Jan. I 1987. It would Stop for one year All nuclear tests of any military significance. Anthony Lewis just for that reason Reagan s veto threat is undoubtedly real one thing no one should doubt is that he intends to continue nuclear testing Doub Clatk to the United nations notwithstanding. And though the House voted the test ban by the surprising margin of 234-155, it s doubtful hat a two thirds Vole could be mustered to override a veto. But Reagan May not have such Clear recourse As his threat suggests House democrats mean to put him to the test and Are confident that at least some of their arms control measures particularly the test ban will prevail against Senate objections. For one thing 15 outside conferees not Mem Bers of the armed services committee with a Strong interest in these provisions including Thomas Downey of new York and Edward Markcy of Massachusetts have been named to participate in the Senate House con Terence. With Congress fast approaching its planned adjournment and members eager to get Home to their re election campaigns the likelihood is hat Reagan will be presented a giant continuing Resolution folding All 13 appropriations Bills into one package if the test ban measures that the president opposes Are included he could veto them but not without vetoing funds for the entire operation of the government including sensitive items like social Security and medicare. Reagan is a determined Man and might nevertheless veto the whole appropriations package. In that event Congress could be forced to stay longer in Washington or to return for a tame Duck session neither of which would amuse members who need to Campaign in their Stales and districts. Even so the House democrats might not be Able to round up the Voles to override but they might be Strong enough to put through a Resolution merely continuing government expenditures a this year s Levels until a new Congress convenes. If that happens democrats urged in their letter to the speaker he should insist that the House will not accept such an emergency Resolution if in does not include the More restrictive authority which would include the arms control measures it voted for in the defense authorization Bill so a veto might mean that the struggle would by continued in the new Congress when the House could be even More strongly democratic. Democrats might even control the Senate. Reagan is complaining that this congressional Chal Lenge on Trie test ban Issue undercuts his bargaining position. But after six years Congress surely is entitled to ask what bargaining position South african cruelty difficult to comprehend with All that americans have Learned of South Africa in the last few years i suspect that the reality of life there still escapes us. Because we live in an open society protected by Law and because South africans seem like us we cannot altogether imagine the cruelly the lawlessness employed to maintain the Power of the White minority. Here is an example. It s a Small one but in its very Small Ness it shows How determined those who hold Power Are to crush any Challenge to the system. There Are four Watson Brothers in port Elizabeth White men who Are great Rugby players Daniel Valence Ronald and Gavin. Ten years ago they did an extraordinary thing. As a gesture against apartheid they quit their White club and played for teams in the poor Black townships near port Elizabeth. Rugby is a serious thing in sports mud South Africa. The Watsons were banned for life by the Rugby league. They lost friends and business in their store. Then last year Blacks carried out a highly effective consumer Boycott in the fort Elizabeth area but they exempted the Watson stores from the Boycott. That made Whites even angrier at them. Last october the Watsons went away for a weekend. James Reston they asked two of their Black employees Archie Mykele and Geoffrey Noranda to stay at the big old family House and watch it. On inc night of oct. 19 there was a huge explosion in the House and a fire burned it Down. Mykele and Noranda barely escaped with their lives suffering serious Burns last month three of the Watson Brothers All but Gavin were charged with arson and fraud the police said they had told their two employees to Burn it so they could collect $200,000 in insurance. The three Brothers were denied bail and Are now in prison. Indications were that he evidence against the Watsons would come from Mycle. He and Nocan a were held in solitary confinement under a Law Al lowing detention of prosecution witnesses Mykele made a statement to inc police that the Watsons had Given him gasoline to Burn the place Down Mykele s wife has produced in court letters from her husband that text a different and horrifying Story. The police tortured him into making a full statement about the fire Mycle told his wife. They beat him and held his head in a wet bag so tight that was suffocated nearly to the Watson family lawyer Leon Schuman. Said mete and Noranda were denied admission to a White Hospital then put in an ambulance to go to one for Blacks. Bui police stopped them took them to a station and questioned them for three hours suffering As they were from third degree bums. A lawyer for mrs. Mykele went to court and asked for an injunction against further police assaults on her husband. The judge read his smuggled letters and then referred the Case to the attorney general for an investigation. The Watsons have paid what americans would con Sider a heavy Price for challenging racism and so have i hair two employees. But it is a tiny incident on the South african landscape not much compared to the military occupation of Black townships the shootings the detention of thousands of Union Leaden clergymen and others without trial and the silencing of the press. President Reagan As he prepares to veto legislation for United slates sanctions against South Africa says that we must encourage the while government in its process of political Reform Bui there is no such pro Cess. The government Speaks of Reform. But its actions growing increasingly Tough since last Spring Send an unmistakable message about political change never. Hifa Girmu peace corps continues tradition of volunteers the peace corps celebrated its 25th anniversary this month reminding us that american foreign policy is not All missiles but has a gentler Side. In was just a week before he was elected As our 35th president that John f. Kennedy summoned the youth of America to get this country moving again and dramatized the idea of a Volunteer peace corps there is not enough Money in All America to re Lieve the misery of the underdeveloped world in a giant and endless soup Kitchen he said. But there is enough know How and enough knowledgeable people to help those nations help themselves. "1 therefore propose that our inadequate efforts in this area be supplemented by a peace corps of talented Young men willing and Able to serve their country in this fashion for three years As an alternative to peace time selective it was not of course a new idea. K had its roots in the biblical injunction from those to whom much is Given much is required and in the missionary tradition of service among the poor and hungry. It is interesting to recall that once the peace corps was established president Kennedy made two conflict ing decisions in the first year of his administration. He sent 500 additional advisers to South Viet Nam raising the total1 to 17,000 in 1963 and he sent 500 new peace corps volunteers to work in the Fields and villages of eight developing countries. As Gerard t. Rice a Young Volunteer now working Ai the world Bank notes in the bold Experiment his excellent history of the peace corps Vietnam scarred the american psyche 58,000 dead Leav ing memories of pain and defeat. But Kennedy s other initiative inspired and continues to inspire Hope and understanding among americans and the rest of the world. In that sense the peace corps was his most affirmative and enduring we hear Little of the peace corps now though Over 100,000 Young americans have served in its ranks and almost 10,000 arc still in the Field. Was this merely a bold Experiment serviceable for a time but now a forgotten Triumph irrelevant to the present Day much is said these Days about the failure of Freedom and affluence in the Pursuit of happiness and people of different political persuasions from Gary Hart to Bili Buckley Lurn repeatedly to the remedy of Volunteer National service for Ibe waywardness and permissiveness of the so culled me generation. This is not new. In 1904, William James in an address to the Universal peace conference in Boston suggested that the government enlist Young men to work among the poor of the nation. Well they were tougher and they wrote better in those Days and James made the mistake of urging that this work be compulsory but inc search for the moral equivalent of War goes on and he need for Volunteer service clearly exists. In 1951, 14 percent of our people or Over 22 Mil lion worked the Fertile american land now Only 1 percent or 2.3 million raise More food than we can use. Though the Farmers collected Over i2s billion in government subsidies this fiscal year the rate of farm bankruptcies is the highest since the great depression. Can we do better than this apply the idealism and labor and generosity of the peace corps to contemporary problems. Many people Here think we can and some of them even work for the government. C naw Yetk time
