EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 27, 1973

Contents: Attendance. II. Announcements • a. Fire Insurance Report • b. New Assistant Secretary of State for Africa - Donald Easum, • c. Robert Resha • d. Namibia • III. Washington Report: Edgar Lockwood reported that the Senate bill to restore Rhodesian sanctions (S. 1868) finally came to the Senate floor on November 22, but Senator Byrd has maintained a filibuster, which requires a two-thirds majority vote to end. The Azores Pact with Portugal ends on February 3; the use of the base in the Mideast War makes it difficult to rally opposition, but Senator Case will probably be active against it. Stuart Nash Scott, a New York lawyer, has been appointed ambassador to Portugal. Frederick Schwarz agreed to try to arrange a meeting with him after confirmation, at Peter Weiss' suggestion. IV. 1974 Budget • V. Proposal from Leslie Campbell • VI. Letter from Ernest Goodman on Bram Fisher • VII. Issues • a. complaint against New York Times for advertising for jobs in South Africa. • b. Bank Campaign: Timothy Smith reported on 11 U.S. banks involved in the European-American Banking Corporation loans to the South African government; four banks have said they will stop loans and two have said they will not participate in future loans. The Corporate Information Center of the National Council of Churches has been pressing the issue with the help of local groups; Smith hoped that ACOA could help with protests to the First Israel Bank (Bank Leumi), the only New York area bank involved. • c. Gulf Oil Boycott: Richard Leonard reported on protests at Dr. Ralph Abernathy's acceptance of a Gulf donation of $50,000 for SCLC and a picket at Gulf offices in New York on December 17 organized by ACOA and the War Resistors League. There were reports that Gulf Oil from Angola was supplying Mozambique and Portugal following the boycott of Portugal by the Arab states. • d. Boycott of Rhodesian Shipments: George Houser reported that ACOA staff member Henry Lieberg had been working with local groups, including dock workers, in Baltimore and Philadelphia, and they had success in having 24-hour boycotts of seven shipments from Rhodesia since February. • e. Recognition of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau: George Houser reported that the Republic of Guinea-Bissau was proclaimed by the National Peoples Assembly there on September 24; it has been recognized by 74 countries, but no action for U.N membership is expected this year. ACOA has helped organize the ad hoc Committee to Support the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, with William Booth as Chairman and Robert Maurer as Secretary, working out of the ACOA office. • f. "we say not to apartheid" advertisement has appeared in Encore Magazine; Ray Gould, who is working as a volunteer at ACOA volunteer, has circulated the ad, and eleven Black newspapers have agreed to run it. • g. Arthur Ashe and Bob Foster in South Africa • h. Research in Progress • VIII. Special Board Meeting on ACOA Priorities • George Houser reported that Jennifer Davis reported that three "Africa Fund Perspectives" studies have been produced and a coffee study was well underway prepared by Molly Hazen. The minutes discuss the Travelers Insurance Company, the Washington Office on Africa (WOA), ANC (African National Congress) Acting President-General Oliver Tambo, Elizabeth Landis, the Secretary General, the Security Council, the State Department, South Africa's illegal occupation of Namibia, the Export-Import Bank, the Sugar Quota for South Africa, the Agriculture Department, the U.S. sugar industry, Treasurer Jay Jacobson, the Chicago literature center, Eileen Hanson, tax-exempt status for ACOA, New York Citywide African Liberation Support Committee (ALSC), an observer at the trial of Bram Fisher, the New York State Supreme Court, the Commission on Human Rights, tennis, boxing, William Booth, Elsie Carrington, Winifred Courtney, Janet Hooper, Tilden LeMelle, Gail Morlan, Andrew Norman, Frederick Schwarz, Dick Leonard, Marvin Rich, and Frederick Schwarz.