No Break In Rhodesia Talks Deadlock

Press, Volume C, Issue 29444, 21 February 1961, Page 18

No Break In Rhodesia Talks Deadlock

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, February 20. The Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan, will report to the Cabinet today, and the Colonial Secretary, Mr lain Macleod, to the House of Commons today or tomorrow, on the crisis over a new constitution for Northern Rhodesia. There appears to have been no break at intensive weekend talks in the deadlock reached at last week’s constitutional conference over a franchise system.

The reports to the Cabinet and the Commons will be on the week-end talks between Mr Macmillan and Mr Macleod and the two Northern Rhodesian leaders, Mr Kenneth Kaunda and Mr Harry Nkumbula, respective heads of the United National Independence and African National Congress Parties. "Britain has betrayed us.” Mr’Kaunda said last night. African nationalists demand clear majorities in both Legislative and Executive Councils to replace European control This is being strenuously opposed by Sir Roy Welensky. the Federal Rhodesian Prime Minister and leader of the United Federal Party, which boycotted the conference Mr Nkumbula said last night that the talks had “achieved nothing.” He and Mr Kaunda asked Mr Macmillan to reconvene the conference immediately, and the Prime Minister had said he might if things “got too bad.” Mr Macmillau also had told

them to weigh their words in such a manner as not to excite their supporters, Mr Nkumbula said. Several British newspapers have told of fears of violence in Northern Rhodesia over the constitution issue. Some territorial troops were called up last week "as a precautionary move.”

In Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia, a Federal Government spokesman said that part of the first battalion of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment had been moved from the Congo border area to Kasama and Luwingu, in the northern province.

erritorial troops based on Kitwe, Lusaka and Broken Hill in the copperbelt were called up last week-end as “a precautionary move In the interests of public safety ’’ Some newspapers today sharply criticised the Government' for its handling of thq Rhodesian crisis. Headings over editorials gave a clue to the tone They said: "Their First Failure,” <“Daily Mall”). “This is £he Price of Haste”« (“Daily Express”). “Denial of Deniocracy” (“Daily Worker”).

Unless otherwise stated, all reports on this page are the copyright of N-Z.P A -Reuter