Happy Birthday

The Oubaas (Old Master) was 80 last week. Nothing showed Jan Christian Smuts's continued influence more vividly than the way his enemies tried to spoil the party. But not even his former pupil and now bitterest rival, Premier Daniel Malan, could prevent Smuts's having the most rousing reception of a long life.

Abroad, Smuts is considered a great world statesman. At home, where Malan edged him from office by a narrow margin in 1948, Smuts is a politician who stands for internationalism and relative liberalism on the race question, while Malan's nationalism and increasingly stern apartheid (race segregation) bring tension nearer the snapping point in a nation one-fifth white and four-fifths black.

To celebrate the birthday, the South African Broadcasting Corp. had planned a feature broadcast. The government angrily protested, and the program was canceled. Johannesburg offered Smuts the freedom of the city; one of Malan's leaders, J. G. Strydom, called a special meeting to object that Smuts had done nothing for South Africa and had worked only for the British empire. Smuts, who has spent half a century working for peace, justice and world understanding, said nothing.

Johannesburg gave Strydom his answer. Despite the chill winter weather, 50,000 shouting citizens, white and black, crowded round the city hall to cheer for Smuts. The old man stood slim, erect and bareheaded on a dais shaped like a birthday cake, and told South Africans: "Cast fear out of your hearts and put an end to bickering and quarreling. Concentrate on the great things that are on the doorstep of

South Africa." He thanked his parents for their heritage of health and strength, his wife for her help and encouragement, and the people of South Africa for having given him his opportunity to serve.

At week's end, Smuts was to start a 5,000-mile tour of South Africa for other celebrations--notably to receive the keys of a cottage built for him on the slopes of Table Mountain by the people of Capetown. Then illness interfered: he was bedded with a recurrence of the sciatica he first developed while mountain-climbing several months ago.

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