Britain Cautious On Arms-Sale

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32384, 25 August 1970, Page 17

Britain Cautious On Arms-Sale

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, August 24. The British Prime Minister (Mr Edward Heath) is now under heavy pressure from the Right wing of the Conservative Party to make a firm decision on the resumption of armssales to South Africa, the “Sunday Times” reported yesterday.

Tbe paper’s political correspondent described Mr Heath as being under attack from both sides—at home from members of his own party who are in favour of the sales, and abroad from the Commonwealth countries who oppose the resumption. In a bid to rescue himself from this dilemma he has been trying to win support from the Kenyan Government, regarded in Whitehall as the most “reasonable” of the black-African members of the Commonwealth, said the correspondent. The arguments being used to win the Kenyans are that the arms would be used for South Africa’s external defence, to guard the Cape route, and that if an arms-deal with Britain were called off it would merely mean France stepping into the breach. Senior members of the Conservative Government are seriously worried at the hostile comments that have come from Commonwealth countries as diverse as Tanzania and Canada. Sir Alec Douglas-Home is said by close friends to have been “astounded” at the storm his proposals have aroused and is now inclined to call-off the whole deal, the “Sunday Times” said. For Mr Heath to abandon the policy, however, could result in a major

party revolt, said the correspondent Some Conservative members are already grumbling about the way the new Government is handling the economy, and there is resentment that the promised cuts in tax and public-expenditure

have not taken place. An about-face on arms for South Africa would be considered by Right-wingers as a betrayal. Amid these conflicting pressures the Prime Minister is delaying his final decision until after the Conservative Party conference in midOctober. Next month also the African members of the Commonwealth will be attending the Organisation of African States meeting in Addis Ababa, and the Afro-Asian summit-conference in Lusaka.

Consequently, the armsissue is unlikely to be settled, one way or the other, before Parliament reassembles later in October, said the correspondent

From all this, the Opposition can reap considerable political capital. In a stormy session in the Commons at the end of July, Labour leaders urged the Government that no action should be taken on arms for South Africa until Parliament had been informed of the decision.