Waging Peace for African Countries

The Monitor's coverage of various African countries has been exceptionally good, and the recent Opinion page article "The Homelands Hurdle," Sept. 23, was informative in its breakdown of tribal relationships. I do not agree, however, with the author's conclusion that "the sooner the government abandons its homeland puppets, the better for peace and progress in South Africa."

While restrictions must ultimately be lifted and discrimination stopped as soon as possible, the timing should be left to South Africa to be done in a logical manner to avoid past mistakes. One only has to look at the news each day to see the problems resulting from creating instant countries and self-rule from geography and emotion rather than from ethnicity, ability, and reason.

The large ethnic groups in South Africa are already skirmishing, and it would be a short move to full-scale civil war if the present government stepped down. Let South Africa set its own pace and do it without pressure from outsiders attempting to force a change that they will have to live with. Earle W. Reiley Jr., San Antonio

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