(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)
CABINET
DEFENCE AND OVERSEA POLICY COMMITTEE
CONFIDENTIAL ANNEX
OPD (67) 39th Meeting Minutes, Item 3 FRIDAY, 8th DECEMBER 1967 at 10.30 a.m.)
COPY NO. 33
3. RHODESIA POLICY
(Previous Reference: OPD(67) 33rd Meeting, Item 1)
The Committee had before them a memorandum by the Commonwealth Secretary (OPD(67) 89) on future policy towards Rhodesia, together with a number of background papers (OPD (67) 90-94).
THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that, following his recent visit to
Africa, he had reached the conclusion that the time had come for an
examination of the implications of our policy vis-a-vis Rhodesia in the
longer term. His talks with Mr. Smith had been valuable in making clear
exactly where the latter stood and in particular that he had never really
accepted the Tiger constitution. The nature of the constitutional
changes which he now wished to make and his determination to maintain
European minority rule for an indefinite period made it impossible to
negotiate an acceptable settlement with him at present. The problem was whether sanctions would make him change his mind. It looked as though sanctidrs would not bring down Mr. Smith's Government so long as South Africa and
Portugal supported the illegal regime. But they might bring him to see
the situation in a new light. At present their effect was to produce economic stagnation in Rhodesia and political isolations, and to deprive
the country of its principal sources of the international finance which
was necessary for its development. Mr. Smith believed that the international
community would tire of sanctions and that they would in consequence
wither away.
It was up to us to prove that he was wrong, at least in the
medium term. But one could not be optimistic about the outcome: it seemed
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