Rhodesian Debate May Lengthen Conference

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31161, 10 September 1966, Page 15

Rhodesian Debate May Lengthen Conference

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

LONDON, September 9.

The Commonwealth Prime Ministers may have to shorten their agenda or extend their meeting beyond Thursday because of the long drawn-out debate on the Rhodesian issue.

Unless the conference is extended many important items, such as the Commonwealth attitude to th s Vietnam war. may not get an airing.

Rhodesia has completely taken up the conference since Tuesday’s opening session and the debate will carry on all today and most of Monday at least

Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore have all stated that Vietnam means more to them than Rhodesia. The New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) has also indicated that he wants to speak on Commonwealth economics, particularly on present British investment restrictions overseas.

Australia’s ’’rime Minister (Mr Harold Holt) is also likely to speak on this subject if there is time. He also wants to talk on the growing and dangerous gap between the rich and the poor nations of the world, a theme he expounded at the Commonwealth Treasurer's meetings. The African nations, especially Nigeria and Ghana, are anxious to give attention to their home affairs in the light of the assassination of the South African Premier, Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd. Asian countries are known to be bitter that the Rhodesian question has forced other Commonwealth problems, such as the Indian-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir, into a lower key.

Compromise Likely

Today as the Rhodesia debate moved into its fourth day, observers felt that some compromise between the militant African members and Britain was now possible.

The British Prime Minister. Mr Harold Wilson, was reported to be contemplating calling an important Cabinet meeting to consider giving more aid to Zambia. At such a meeting the Cabinet could give a definite assurance to the African nations that legal independence would not be granted to Rhodesia without majority rule.

This was the point which yesterday appeared to be the crucial issue for the African nations taking precedence over the eventual crushing of the illegal regime. The only defenders of Britain at the conference so far have been Australia and New Zealand. Mr Holt said African delegates had raised the question of race in relation to Rhodesia when no charge of racialism could be levelled at Britain.

It was Britain which had brought the Commonwealth from a small meeting of white faces at No. 10 Downing street to its present multiracial membership. They should not forget this. He said the use of force in Rhodesia would not be agreed to by Parliament and it

would also cause grave divisions in Britain. The Commonwealth was in fact only as strong as Britain. If Britain crippled herself with attempting to impose uneconomic sanctions against Rhodesia, so the Commonwealth would suffer. "I believe continued and tightened sanctions along the line taken by Mr Wilson will have the effect we desire,’’ he said.

Mr Holt's speech was received as unfavourably as Mr Holyoake’s speech had been the previous day. Britain, Australia and New Zealand stood almost isolated as

Asian and African delegates attacked Britain, and it seemed unlikely that Mr Holyoake would be a “bridgemaker” as he had been at the previous conference. Sir Albert Margai (Sierra Leone) accused Britain of mishandling the Rhodesian situation and of misleading the conference, Brigadier B. A. 0. Ogundipe (Nigeria) supported the use of force, and Archbishop Makarios (Cyprus) called for increased mandatory sanctions. Tunku Abdul Rahman (Malaysia) suggested a joint Commonwealth mission to meet Rhodesian leaders. '