U Thant Declines Rhodesian Visit

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29718, 11 January 1962, Page 9

U Thant Declines Rhodesian Visit

(N Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, January 10. The United Nations acting Secretary-General (U Thant) last night rejected an invitation to visit Rhodesia for talks with its Prime Minister (Sir Roy Welensky) on allegations that “mercenaries” have crossed the border into Katanga. However, a United Nations spokesman said U Thant would consider sending a deputy to Rhodesia, reported the British United Press.

“It is not clear at all to me what, if any, constructive results might be achieved from such a visit,” U Thant told the committee discussing the matter. Sir Roy Wellensky had invited U Thant to visit Rhodesia after a United Natibns request that United Nations observers should be stationed in Rhodesia. U Thant told the committee that the invitation did not cover what he had in mind when he made his questMeanwhile, U Thant, warned that the United Nations may have to take further military action to rid the Congo's breakaway province of Katanga of foreign mercenaries. U Thant issued the warn-

ing at a meeting of his 19nation advisory committee on the Congo yesterday, the Associated Press reported. He said mercenaries, banned from the Congo by a United Nations resolution, still remained in the Katangese communities of Kaminaville, Jadotville, Kolwezi and Kipushi. He expressed hope that Katanga's President (Mr Moise Tshombe) would "keep his promise to facilitate the elimination of mercenaries” so that the United Nations would not have to

“employ further force to that end.” “I must add, however, that our plan and preparations for further operations in areas of Katanga other than Elisabethville, with a view to achieving the total elimination of mercenaries, are going forward without delay,” U Thant said. A.P. said it was the first time U Thant had specified the removal of mercenaries as a purpose of last month’s military operations. Previously he had said the aims were freedom of movement for United Nations forces, freedom from attack for United Nations personnel and freedom for the United Nations to implement its Congo resolutions.

Links Retained

JERUSALEM, January 10. The Israeli Knesseth (Parliament) last night rejected by 37 votes to 25 an opposition motion calling for the complete severance of any cultural ties with Germany. After a week long debate on relations between Israel and Germany generally, the House approved a series of government directives governing cultural relations between them, which will allow Israeli delegates to take part in international events in Germany.