S.A. Warns Britain About Rhodesia

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31223, 22 November 1966, Page 17

S.A. Warns Britain About Rhodesia

(N.ZP.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

JOHANNESBURG, November 21. The South African Transport Minister, Mr Ben Schoeman, has warned Britain that its threatened move to take the Rhodesia issue to the United Nations could be fatal to the British economy.

Mr Schoeman, in a statement to a meeting of the ruling National Party yesterday, firmly reiterated that South Africa would continue to trade with Rhodesia even in the face of mandatory sanctions ordered by the United Nations.

Mr Schoeman’s remarks, the most detailed made for some time on the Rhodesian situation by a South African Minister, were regarded as a top-level policy statement.

Mr Wilson has undertaken to ask the United Nations for sanctions if his differences with Rhodesia were not cleared up by the end of the month.

Mr Schoeman said: “I have not the slightest doubt that the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council would agree to his request. “Out Of Hand”

“Not only will they agree, but the matter will get completely out of hand and they will almost certainly ask for total mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia. “If this happens, South Africa and all other members of the United Nations would have the same sanctions applied to them if they did not fall in with the United Nations plan. “I want to give the Prime Minister of Britain a serious word of warning, and that is that he must carefully consider the consequences not only for South Africa, but par-

ticularly for Britain, if such a step is taken. “South Africa is today Britain’s best customer in the world,” Mr Schoeman added. “If this trade between Brit-

ain and South Africa Is obstructed, it could hit Britain fatally with a view to that country’s extremely difficult economic position. “My firm conviction is that the whole issue must still be a domestic matter between Britain and Rhodesia,” Mr Schoeman said.

Mr Wilson would be acting sensibly if he kept it this way. “I believe that, if good counsel prevails, this whole issue could still be resolved in a friendly manner,” said Mr Schoeman.