Tutu Sees Bush, Is Encouraged by ‘Openness’

Nobel laureate Desmond M. Tutu met with President Bush on Thursday and urged him to “take the moral leadership” toward ending South Africa’s apartheid policies of racial separation.

The South Africa Anglican archbishop said he was encouraged, saying Bush had a “warm openness” to the anti-apartheid cause.

“We do not want to be overly optimistic,” Tutu told reporters, adding that he was impressed that Bush appeared to genuinely abhor apartheid, that he wanted to be “a catalyst for change” and “a positive influence.”

Tutu and two other anti-apartheid leaders, the Revs. Allan Boesak and Beyers Naude, who met briefly with Bush at the White House, did not disclose the details of their conversation.

Tutu indicated, however, that they did not ask for specific initia tives other than that Bush urge Pretoria to negotiate with its opposition.

Although the White House said a day earlier that Bush does not intend to back further sanctions against Pretoria to press for social change, in essence maintaining the policy of President Ronald Reagan, the leaders were upbeat after the meeting.

“I think there is a very warm openness, and we think the door stands ajar. No door has been slammed in our face,” Tutu said.

White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater told reporters later that the “President shares the archbishop’s abhorrence of apartheid.”

“The President promised to stress his opposition in every way possible. The Administration will be looking at ways to best use American pressure, influence and leverage to bring about justice and equality in South Africa,” Fitzwater said.

The language was stronger than that generally employed by Reagan, who was accused by Tutu and other African and American black leaders of being too close to the South African government.