International Caradon plan to urge Rhodesia rule by London

Press, 29 July 1976, Page 9

International Caradon plan to urge Rhodesia rule by London

NZPA-Reuter London The former British Minister and diplomat, Lord Caradon, has strongly backed the idea <>f a period of restored British authority in Breakaway Rhodesia before African independence as the best way to solve the Rhodesian constitutional disnute.

In a letter to “The Times”! he said that in the next few weeks he hoped ti discuss in Africa the proposals with the African leaders mainly concerned, but he admitted that he expected them to be at first reluctant and suspicious. “But I believe that they will more and more realise the advantages of an orderly take-over, an urgent constitutional conference, early independence, and British and Commonwealth economic assistance for the new independent State of Zimbabwe.” he said. Lord Caradon, once Ambassador to the United Nations and a former Foreign Office Minister of State, said that he had ar-

gued that a restoration of British authority would be much the best for ali the Rhodesians, even the Prime Minister (Mr lan Smith). "Easier for him to hand over responsibility to the British Government than to eat all his words and negotiate for something he has

so long opposed,” Lord Caradon stated. “More honourable for him too, and the best for his own people.” The Rhodesian security forces’ headquarters in Salisbury have announced that Mozambican troops thrust into Rhodesia last Friuay for the first time, and reports have come in of more guerrilla ambushes in the southwest of the country. The police have barred traffic between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on a 126-mile section of the road, where two whiteowned cars came under fire on July 20, wounding one person. The announcement that

'I Mozambique’s Frelimo j troops had crossed into Rhodesia on Friday was the first confirmed clash inside Rhodesian territory. 1 A defence spokesman re- ; fused to give details, and would merely describe the incident as a confrontation. Unconfirmed reports said : the Frelimo troops had crossed 30 miles south of ■ the border town of Umtali, and fired on a Rhodesian i Army patrol. Rhodesian reinforcements ’ had been called in. and the • Frelimo troops were reported to have retreated -; after heavy guns had been i|trained on their position. I The Mozambican troops J had then continued rocket, •irr.ortar, and small-arms fire

on Rhodesian positions from a ridge overlooking the border, the reports said. A police spokesman said that attacks from black nationalist guerrillas operating inside the country had claimed the lives of two white civilians. The two men, Johan Fred-

erick Botha, aged 57, and Llewellyn Davies, aged 64, both died on Tuesday, the spokesman said. In a statement, the police spokesman said Mr Davies had been killed when guerrillas fired on his Sotani ranch homestead as he was sitting down to dinner with his wife. About 4 p.m. on Monday a fellow employee had found Mr Botha dead from gunshot wounds in his crashed car about 36 miles i Victoria Falls, the spokesman slid. Some 35 white civilians have now been killed in the g errilla war, which began in December, 1972, 17 of| them dying this year.