CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 134

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The Committee considered a note by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs (OPD(67) 27) covering a report by officials on the

possibility of further action against the illegal regime in Rhodesia.

THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that although there was still little prospect of an early end to the illegal regime in Rhodesia there were signs that by the end of this year, its supporters might come to realise that its policies were not succeeding and that by then extremists of the Rhodesia

Front would repudiate Mr. Smith. Lord Alport, formerly British High

Commissioner to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, had said that he

was willing to go to Rhodesia for two or three months, if the regime would

allow him entry, to work for a return to legality there but, if he were to

au so,

he must be clear as to our minimum requirements in that event.

The Commonwealth Office were working on detailed proposals but it was

difficult to decide what these should be in advance of a readiness on the

part of the regime to return to legality (and therefore of the political circumstances to which they must be adapted).

In discussion there was general agreement that there would be

advantage in a visit by Lord Alport to Rhodesia even though his present

influence there was not great; if, as was possible, the regime were to prevent

his entry this would still have considerable propaganda advantages for us.

As regards our minimum conditions for a return to legality it was not

sufficiently understood in Rhodesia that, although these would be based on

the Government's commitment not to grant independence before majority rule

and there was no possibility of our agreeing now to accept a constitution

for independence based on that drawn up on HMS Tiger, this did not mean that

independence would immediately follow the achievement of an African majority

rule, which would itself take some years. Ministers felt that the prospect for Rhodesia should be a lengthy period of dependent status and if this were

made clear to white Rhodesians it would make them question whether there

was any real advantage to them in the policies of the illegal regime.

There was however a risk that if we were to make clear that this was our

view we should ourselves become the target for attack in the United Nations.

Furthermore we should in the event of success in this policy involve ourselves

deeply in long-term political and perhaps military commitments, which would be gravely damaging to our interests.

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