The next 10 days sre likely to be decisive in tho boycott dispute. Two decisions have to be takon: the first by the Trades Council on March ilth and the second by the full council on March 16th, whon the boycots decision will be debated again. The pro=apartheid forces are concentra= ting on making the Labour group feel isolatod, livery day tho local press carries its ration of anti—boycott propaganda, most of it supplied by the South African Foundation, Their campaign will culminate with the visit noxt wookend of the Director-General of the Foundation, who will no doubt threaten a variety of economic reprisals if the Council does not rescind its decision.
If the ASAF (founded by South African businessmen in 1960 to fight tho Labour Party's boycott) has any success hore, it will bo represented as a victory for pro-apartheid forces in this country and in South Africa, and as a sovoro dcofoat for socialist unity. It would holp tho Labour group if moro mossagos arriving atthe Town House supported tho boycott. aaa ate ;
An interesting fact is that. the threatened trawlor ordor at Hall and Russoll's yard was placed by tho South African firm of Irvine and Johnstone, This is tho same company as the stockbrokors, Irvine and Jomstone(Abordoen), Tho link may suggost 2 furthur reason why Aberdcon's municipal boycott should be tho one to create such a furore in the South African press, and is another oxamplo of the way in which Dritish capital is intricately involvod in upholding the Verwocrd rogime.