Ask the Scholar
Page 4 of 16
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
ORE 1-49
THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA
SUMMARY
Because of South Africa's strategic position, its membership in the British Com-
monwealth, and the world-wide sensitiveness to the racial issues which dominate its
domestic scene, the partisan politics of the Union's small white electorate take on an
international significance.
The coalition Government headed by Dr. Malan, which replaced the Smuts Govern-
ment in an electoral upset last May, holds power by a narrow parliamentary margin.
Primarily it represents the Afrikaans-speaking element, a group in which isolationism
and anti-British feelings are still very strong; but it must attract some support from
the English-speaking element to retain power. Malan has sought a solution for this
difficulty in two major unifying policies: (a) stricter segregation of the various non-
European races (a program summed up in the word apartheid) ; and (b) a belligerent
South African nationalism displayed chiefly in the forum provided by the UN. In
spite of a threatened split with Finance Minister Havenga and the Afrikaner Party over
the constitutional means of implementing the Government racial policy, Malan has
found both these issues politically popular and has forced Smuts' Opposition to yield
some ground on both.
The issues which unite white South Africans are among those which divide the
world. Racial tensions, already on the rise throughout Africa, have been further
heightened by Malan's repressive policy. Local Communists have begun to exploit
this, and although their threat to the Union is not immediate, it is potentially serious,
for the tensions are real, and the whites are outnumbered four to one.
In the wider field of international affairs South African intransigence on the racial
issue and on the control of colonial areas has provoked criticism from non-Soviet as
well as from Soviet sources, and has made the country something of a propaganda
liability to the US and the Western bloc.
The
the
existence
of
social
structure
in
of
the
countey.
Iabor.
Those are of various Jevels. of
primition
societies
to
They
include
Bantu
tribesmen,
as
Note: The intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Navy, and the Air Force have
concurred in this report; the Intelligence Division, Department of the Army, had no com- -
ment. The information herein is of 19 January 1949.
1
Page data
- Page
- 4
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- b3039df0e7fd1495
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 225249442
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "225249442",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/225249442",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 1-49, The Political Situation in the Union of South Africa",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/225249442",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Intelligence Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875480/875480-01-01.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875480/875480-01-01.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875480/875480-01-01.jpg",
"imageCount": 16,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "225249442",
"label": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 1-49, The Political Situation in the Union of South Africa",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/225249442"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "225249442",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/225249442",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 1-49, The Political Situation in the Union of South Africa",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/225249442",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Intelligence Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875480/875480-01-01.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875480/875480-01-01.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875480/875480-01-01.jpg",
"imageCount": 16,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/225249442",
"naId": 225249442,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"day": 31,
"logicalDate": "1949-01-31",
"month": 1,
"year": 1949
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 4,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875480/875480-01-04.jpg",
"mediaId": "b3039df0e7fd1495",
"ocrText": "ORE 1-49\nTHE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA\nSUMMARY\nBecause of South Africa's strategic position, its membership in the British Com-\nmonwealth, and the world-wide sensitiveness to the racial issues which dominate its\ndomestic scene, the partisan politics of the Union's small white electorate take on an\ninternational significance.\nThe coalition Government headed by Dr. Malan, which replaced the Smuts Govern-\nment in an electoral upset last May, holds power by a narrow parliamentary margin.\nPrimarily it represents the Afrikaans-speaking element, a group in which isolationism\nand anti-British feelings are still very strong; but it must attract some support from\nthe English-speaking element to retain power. Malan has sought a solution for this\ndifficulty in two major unifying policies: (a) stricter segregation of the various non-\nEuropean races (a program summed up in the word apartheid) ; and (b) a belligerent\nSouth African nationalism displayed chiefly in the forum provided by the UN. In\nspite of a threatened split with Finance Minister Havenga and the Afrikaner Party over\nthe constitutional means of implementing the Government racial policy, Malan has\nfound both these issues politically popular and has forced Smuts' Opposition to yield\nsome ground on both.\nThe issues which unite white South Africans are among those which divide the\nworld. Racial tensions, already on the rise throughout Africa, have been further\nheightened by Malan's repressive policy. Local Communists have begun to exploit\nthis, and although their threat to the Union is not immediate, it is potentially serious,\nfor the tensions are real, and the whites are outnumbered four to one.\nIn the wider field of international affairs South African intransigence on the racial\nissue and on the control of colonial areas has provoked criticism from non-Soviet as\nwell as from Soviet sources, and has made the country something of a propaganda\nliability to the US and the Western bloc.\nThe\nthe\nexistence\nof\nsocial\nstructure\nin\nof\nthe\ncountey.\nIabor.\nThose are of various Jevels. of\nprimition\nsocieties\nto\nThey\ninclude\nBantu\ntribesmen,\nas\nNote: The intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Navy, and the Air Force have\nconcurred in this report; the Intelligence Division, Department of the Army, had no com- -\nment. The information herein is of 19 January 1949.\n1"
}