The U.S. had merely stuck a toe in the water by announcing last fortnight, outside of U.N., its polite but determined proposal for sole trusteeship of strategic Pacific Islands. Soviet Russia had muttered a procedural objection, but otherwise the water was not too cold. Last week Prime Minister Jan Smuts of the Union of South Africa took a full plunge. He found the water icy. Nineteen nations denounced his plan for annexation of South-West Africa.* Only Britain, grateful to Smuts for South Africa's support in two wars, supported him.
Said Soviet Delegate Nikolai Novikov: "The Soviet delegation . . . rejects the proposal . . . and will insist that the Government of the Union of South Africa . . . submit ... a draft agreement on trusteeship over South-West Africa."
But could Smuts be compelled to submit a draft? Article 77 of the U.N. Charter said the "trusteeship system shall apply to such territories as may be placed thereunder. . . ."
Clear Wishes? Even if wily Smuts would agree to a U.N. trusteeship instead of outright annexation, Byelorussia's delegate Frol P. Shmigov was ready to argue that South Africa's policies of racial discrimination (TIME, Nov. 4) had proved it ''incapable of being a trustee."
Sir Maharaj Singh, Indian delegate, took up the cudgels, traded blows with Smuts through two heated speeches. To Smuts's claim that Africans were represented in the Union Government, Singh trumpeted: "Africans (75% of the population) have only seven representatives out of 200 in the Legislature, and even then they can only be represented by Europeans." To Smuts's claim that trusteeship would be a violation of the "clear wishes of the inhabitants" as expressed in recent consultations, Singh (and the Russians) expressed a doubt shared by many observers in the Western democracies. On file with the U.N. Secretariat was a cablegram from Chief Festus Kandjou of the Herero tribe (pop. 28,000): "Please record that the whole Herero nation of South-West Africa do not wish this Territory to be incorporated with the Union of South Africa. . . ." But in neither South nor South-West Africa were the majority of the Negroes yet ready for citizenship. Most humanitarians recognized that, but criticized the South African Government for doing little or nothing to raise native standards toward self-government. Thousands still live primitively in the bush, a prey to disease and malnutrition, relieved occasionally by excessive feasting.
"Is That So?" In Manhattan's crowded Waldorf-Astoria a most unprimitive citizen confronted Smuts. Ebony, pint-sized Dr. Alfred B. Xuma (pronounced Kooma with a deep, clicking tch on the K), president of the African National Congress, enjoyed his part of the ensuing dialogue:
Smuts: "Xuma! Why are you here?"
Xuma (smiling): "I came to be near my Prime Minister."
Smuts (putting a friendly hand on Xuma's shoulder): "Why haven't we got together before?"
Xuma: "I've been trying to get together with you for years. You never see us, you don't even know what we Africans think."
Smuts: "Is that so?"