Open Season on South Africa

It's been almost one year since the Corporation took a stand against divestiture and the initiation of shareholder resolutions.

This week the Harvard Corporation called on the Timken Company to withdraw from South Africa. The decision followed the release of President Bok's second open letter that terms divestiture unjustifies and contends that the most effective way to alter corporate practices in South Africa is by voting on shareholder resolutions and communicating "in other ways with management."

The Corporation's decision regarding Timken followed the company's refusal to provide information on its practices in South Africa.

However, the Corporation has refused to intiate shareholder resolutions while Bok has stated that the most "effective" way to alter corporate practices is through shareholder pressure. He is letting shareholders make the first cry for change.

One shareholder did call for chimed in and recommended on Thursday that the Corporation approve of a resolution requiring Phillips Petroleum to implement the Sullivan principles or withdraw from its South Africa subsidiary by December 31, 1979.

But the ACSR failed to address the fact that the Phillips subsidiary may be a joint venture with a South African parastatal.

In his open letter, Bok stated divestiture would "cause the University to diver millions of dollars in pursuit of a strategy that is legally questionable, widely disputed on its merits and very likely to prove ineffective in achieving its objectives."

Christopher S. Jeneks, professor of Sociology, said yesterday he agreed with Bok, adding Harvard should "pressure corporations to withdraw from South Africa and encourage universities and the government to do the same."

However, Karl W. Deutsch, Stansfield Professor of International Peace, said yesterday that Bok's letter "erroneously treats divestiture as an all or no business."

Deutsch said that rather than totally rejecting divestiture, Harvard should "draw the line" or establish certain conditions where divestiture would be appropriate.

Deutsch said, "It is most important that Harvard do something that is visible and unmistakable now."