White House Attacks Sanctions as Wrong Way to Bring Change

The White House on Friday attacked legislation, overwhelmingly passed by the Republican-led Senate, that would impose economic penalties on South Africa unless it ends its policy of racial discrimination.

Sanctions are the “wrong way to bring about changes we all desire,” presidential spokesman Larry Speakes said in insisting that the Reagan Administration’s approach of “quiet diplomacy” still is the best way to proceed. He said that sanctions would only strengthen the forces most opposed to social change in South Africa.

Speakes declined to predict whether President Reagan would veto the final version of the measure, which now goes to a House-Senate conference committee. The Senate passed its version Thursday night by a vote of 80 to 12, while the Democratic-led House voted 297 to 127 last month in favor of a more stringent bill.

Unless the Pretoria regime shows improvement in ending its apartheid policy, both bills would bar U.S. banks from making new loans to the South African government; halt the sale of U.S.-made computers and software to government agencies that enforce apartheid, and ban the export of American technology that could aid nuclear research or the production of nuclear weapons in South Africa.

At the State Department, spokesman Bob Smalley said that the Senate bill “contained both positive and negative provisions” but contended that many of the sanctions “are harmful to blacks in South Africa and punish U.S. companies. We will therefore continue to oppose these sanctions as congressional action continues.”

Speakes, meanwhile, told a news briefing that any penalties will not increase U.S. influence in South Africa but will only reinforce “elements most opposed” to greater political freedom for that nation’s black majority.

Will Seek Changes

Although the Administration welcomes certain provisions of the bills that enhance the U.S. role in promoting change in South Africa and commends U.S. companies “for their efforts in supporting” a move away from apartheid, Speakes said it will try to “bring about changes” in other provisions in the conference committee.

However, White House hopes for modification of the measures were seemingly at odds with the strong backing given by many Republican leaders, who have joined Democrats in attacking the Administration’s policy as not strong enough.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), in voting for the bill Thursday night, said it “offers the best chance of getting the South African government to end the apartheid system.” Similarly, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) called the measure a “genuine, positive contribution to promoting an end to apartheid.”