CONFERENCE ON RHODESIA

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30946, 30 December 1965, Page 9

CONFERENCE ON RHODESIA

W ilson ‘ Angered’ By Rejection

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter-Copyright)

LAGOS, Dec. 29. Nigerian Government officials yesterday said they regretted Australia's rejection of the Nigerian proposal for a Commonwealth summit to discuss Rhodesia.

“Certainly we regret the decision, but we still have to examine the statement in detail before making any further comment,” officials said. Sir Robert Menzies had rejected Nigeria's call for a Comonwealth premiers’ summit and said such a conference would have “disastrous effects.” “The Australian Premier’s remarks angered Mr -Wilson and African leaders,” wrote John Dickie, diplomatic correspondent of the “Daily Mail.” Mr Wilson was convinced that under Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa's chairmanship there would be no question of a “star chamber” court on Britain’s policy towards Rhodesia and it would be an important opportunity for Britain to state a strong case for her action. NO WARNING

The Canadian Prime Minister (Mr Pearson) and Mr Holyoake, of New Zealand, felt such a conference could rally the Commonwealth. “To Downing Street’s surprise—there was no advance notice from Australia—Sir Robert Menzies rejected the proposal.” Sir Robert Menzies’s “pro-

tectionist” attitude towards Britain was not appreciated in Downing Street, Dickie wrote. “Deep regret at Sir Robert Menzies’s outburst was ill-concealed." In London, a Government official said the British Government “very much regretted” Sir Robert Menzies’s rejection of the proposal.

“The British Government welcomed Nigeria’s initiative in calling for a conference,” the officials told Australian Associated Press. “The British Government would be glad to attend the conference providing a number of other Commonwealth countries went too.

“It very much regrets Sir Robert Menzies’s decision not to participate in any way in such a conference.” STRONG DOUBTS

The London “Daily Telegraph” Commonwealth affairs writer said there were strong doubts whether Tanzania and Ghana, which have broken diplomatic relations with Britain, would attend the proposed summit.

The “Daily Express” said the British Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) would be put in a difficult position if other members of the “old” Commonwealth followed Australia’s lead and only African and Asian leaders backed the proposal for a Commonwealth summit.

So far there was no hint that Canada or New Zealand would not attend.

“Australia's move may, however, help delay the conference until later in the new year—giving Britain more time to show that her sanctions against Rhodesia can solve the problem without the need for military measures,” the newspaper said. COULD GO ON The view in Whitehall was the conference could still go on without Sir Robert Menzies Dickie wrote.

Commonwealth conferences have been held in the past in spite of the absence of heads of Governments from certain countries such as Cyprus and Ceylon. “There were suggestions in London that an attempt might be made to have Sir Robert Menzies reconsider the situation, and if he cannot attend he might send a deputy,” Dickie said. A Commonwealth conference on Rhodesia would inevitably become a sounding board for demands by the militant African leaders for the use of force against Rhodesia, the Sydney “Daily Telegraph’’ said today. Such a conference could achieve nothing but bitterness, the newspaper said. The newspaper said the Australian Prime Minister’s reasons for rejecting the idea of a Commonwealth leaders’ conference on Rhodesia would be easy enough to guess even If he had not set them out so lucidly himself. Sir Robert Menzies must be only too well aware of the dangers inherent in a gathering of African Commonwealth prime ministers to deal with such an emotional topic, it said. Several of these leaders have already embarrassed themselves by hastily consenting to an O.A.U. resolution to cut off relations with Great Britain over the same issue—a resolution not all were prepared to follow through. There would be no guarantee that they would act more judiciously at a Commonwealth meeting. Australia's attitude on the issue had been clearly stated and did not need to be reiterated at a conference.