
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, December 16, 1993                   TAG: 9312160231
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A17   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: COLUMBIA, S.C.                                LENGTH: Short

S.C. SENATOR CREATES STIR WITH WORDS - AGAIN

Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings' remark comparing African leaders to cannibals was just the latest in a series that has angered minorities and made even his supporters cringe.

The most recent came when the South Carolina Democrat, who is white, criticized African diplomats who traveled to Switzerland for international trade agreement talks that concluded Tuesday.

"Everybody likes to go to Geneva," he said in Washington. "I used to do it for the Law of the Sea conferences and you'd find these potentates from down in Africa, you know, rather than eating each other, they'd just come up and get a good square meal in Geneva."

Black leaders protested, and some white Democrats were embarrassed.

"He made a joke and that's it," said his spokesman, Andy Brack.

Hollings declined to comment.

Last year, he responded to comments about U.S. work habits by reminding Japan that the United States built the atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.

Hollings once referred to Democratic Ohio Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, who is Jewish, as the senator from B'nai B'rith. - Associated Press

by CNB