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lation would be somewhat more se–
rious.
The marginal effects on the South
African economy would be centered
in three main areas: First, South Af–
rica. already suffering from severe
harbor congestion, would find her–
self in an even worse situation
should the Mozambique port of
Louren~o
Marques be closed to
South African traffic. The problem
would be temporary, however, as a
new port on the Natal North Coast
will come into operatíon
in
1976.
Second, the withdrawal of nearly
100,000
Mozambique workers from
the South African gold mines -
20
percent of South Africa's mine labor
- would result in a temporary drop
in South African gold production.
Finally, if Frelimo's threats to blow
up the Cabora Bassa hydroelectric
dam are carried out, a small per-
Language lssue
Stirs Quebec
Montreal:
Months after its passage, Que–
bec's controversia! language law is
still the object of debate. French -
the mother tongue of 82 percent of
the province's population - is now
the sote official language with pre–
ferred status over English in busi–
ness, education and government.
The na tion of Canada as a whole is
officia lly bilingual. although Quebec
is the only signifi.cant Freoch-speak–
ing area.
Although the use of English has
been guaranteed as a matter of per–
sonal rights, many who speak it as
their first language feel that the new
legislation wi ll threaten their way of
life. But others feel that that "way of
life" had involved unfa ir domioa–
tion of the province's industrial and
financia! wealth, and that a balance
needed to be encouraged with the
help of this law.
The law, referred to both in
French and English as Bill
22,
spells
out, in over
lOO
clauses, ways that
the sta tus of the French language is
8
centage of South Africa's power
would be teroporarily los
t.
Local opinion has it, however,
that Frelimo could cut off economic
relations with the white south only if
Mozambique is assured of sub–
stantial long-term foreign aid from
other countries. Without such alter–
nate aid, Frelimo leaders could find
that cutting off economic relations
with the white south may do more
harm to Mozambique than it does
to South Africa and Rhodesia. But
whether s ucb practica! consid–
erations will force a more moderate
Mozambique policy toward the
white south is uncertain. Histori–
cally, such practica! considerations
have not always precluded the ap–
plication of sanctions for ideological
reasons, regardless of what is in the
best interests of a nation.
- Sydney Hu//
to be preserved in government. in–
dustry and education.
One of the most controversia!
clauses gives the minister of educa–
tion the authority to send children
to French, rather than English
schools if their knowledge of Eng–
lish is judged insufficient for English
schooling. This primariJy affects the
children of immigrant families.
Montreal, Canada's largest city, is
an intemational port by virtue of
the St. Lawrence River; it is the na–
tion's favorite sett ling spot for
immi–
grants. They prefer to settle there
for its European ftavor, yet they de–
sire to have their children attend
English schools to give th em more
mobility and greater advantages
throughout a ll of North America.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise
that these minority groups are dis–
pleased by the bill.
Perhaps the most surprising op–
ponents of Bill 22 are the followers
of the separatist
Parti Quebecois
(PQ). They claim that the bill is too
vague and will be laxly adminis–
tered, yet there is also the realiza–
tion that if this plan were lo succeed
in safeguarding French culture and
in giving French-Canadians a
greater share in the economic life of
the province, they could be a party
without a platform. Sorne within the
PQ ask whether the bill is nothing
but a plot from Ottawa to under–
mine the French independence
movement.
The bill has also raised criticism
from Canada's other provinces. The
premier of New Brunswick has
asked Prime M in iste r Pierre
Trudeau to refer the law to tbe Ca–
nadian Supreme Court for a ruling
on its constitutionality. Although
Mr.
Trudeau has stated his reserva–
tions about the bill, he
is
unlikely to
do so, preferring that a prívate citi–
zen instead initiate the court case.
On one occasion, 1 asked Mr.
Trudeau what those reservations
were. He termed them "philosophi–
cal , not política!." " I'm a liberal ," he
continued, "and
1
don't like the idea
of forcing a person to choose one
Ianguage or another." He does not
deny that the situation in Quebec
needs balancing, but feels it should
be done by "persuasion, rather than
Legislation."
Until the law is challenged in
Canada's courts, the provincial gov–
ernment of Premier Robert Bou–
rassa will continue plans for its
implementation amid continuing
vocal opposition en all sides. Mean–
while, moderate voices throughout
the province hope that this law will
both lessen the one-sided advantage
of the English language and culture
at top levels of commerce and in–
dustry and at the same time reduce
the calls for complete secession of
the province from Canada.
Yet Quebec remains as another
example on a list containing situ–
ations as diverse as the Flemish–
Walloon controversy in Belgium,
the Biafran secession attempt in Ni–
geria, and the independence of
Bangladesh. At a time when states–
men and thinkers are caUing for in–
creased cooperation and concerted
effort between the nations as the
only chance man has of solving the
grievous problems facing him, the
trend is toward the breakup of tradi–
tional nation-sta tes into smaller,
tribe-like subdivisions.
- Henry Sturcke
PLAIN TRUTH December 1974