DEADLOCK ON RHODESIA

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30593, 9 November 1964, Page 13

DEADLOCK ON RHODESIA

(N.ZJ > .A.-Reuter—Copyright) SALISBURY, November 8. Relations between Britain and Rhodesia deadlocked yesterday after a new exchange of messages on the independence issue between Mr lan Smith and Mr Wilson, the Rhodesian and British Prime Ministers, political observers said.

Mr Smith announced yesterday he had invited the Commonwealth Secretary (Mr Arthur Bottomley) to Salisbury for talks. Mr Wilson promptly replied that Mr Bottomley would only come if he could meet representatives of all sections of Rhodesian opinion. Mr Smith told a press conference Mr Bottomley could see “anyone who is free to be seen’”—but this, observers said, would exclude the two main Nationalist leaders, Mr Joshua Nkomo, who is in preventive detention, and the Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole, who is serving a sentence for issuing a subversive document.

When Mr Bottomley was in Lusaka for Zambia’s independence celebrations recently, he refused an invitation to visit Rhodesia because, he said, he would not be allowed to see African Nationalist leaders.

Mr Wilson’s message, however, left the door open for Mr Smith to come to London for talks with him. Mr Smith had no comment on the message, and a Government spokesman said the Rhodesian Cabinet would probably meet

on Monday to consider it. Earlier this week, Mr Smith said he would not go to London for talks unless it could be shown that it was in Rhodesia’s interests that he should do so. He told today’s press conference he had invited Mr Bottomley to Salisbury after the “resounding vote” in favour of his Goverment’s approach to independence at last Thursday’s referendum. Asked about his Government’s determination to obtain independence, he said: “If Britain thinks they are going to send out some poor member of the Royal family to pull down the Union Jack in this country, then it will be over our dead bodies.”