CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 269

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In discussion, considerable opposition was expressed to supplying the equipment to South Africa, at least as an isolated measure. The decision involved a fundamental issue of principle, and one that could be regarded as critical to the future of our whole policy in respect of South Africa. By supplying the equipment we should be signifying our withdrawal from the world problem of relationships between black and white. In so far as the desire to meet the South African request flowed from the Simonstom Agreement and the South African contribution to maritime defence, we were giving precedence to an outdated concept of a British world military role over our support for the United Nations and all that it

stood for. Our own military withdrawal east of Suez made it the more

essential to strengthen the United Nations and their capacity to take

over the role of peacekeeping which we had formerly carried out.

Moreover, we should be acting inconsistently with the stand we were con-

tinuing to take in Rhodesia, and it would be ironical if our desire to

retain a measure of South African co-operation over Rhodesia led us to

take a step which would create difficulties for us no less than those

created by the Rhodesian question. We should come under heavy criticism

in the United Nations for what would be seen as a withdrawal from

compliance with the United Nations resolutions on supply of arms to South Africa; and our relations with African Commonwealth countries,

already made difficult by disagreement over Rhodesia and South West

Africa, would become even more strained. For these reasons it was urged that it would be politically impossible to take and announce a decision in isolation in favour of supplying the equipment to South Africa,

particularly at the outset of a new Parliamentary session when a number

of the Government's supporters were so gravely concerned at the

Government's policies in Southern Africa, including those in relation to

South-West Africa and to Rhodesia. Anxiety would certainly be expressed

over the recent incursion of South African police into Rhodesia, against

which we were seen to be unable to make any effective protest. Rosentment at a decision to supply the equipment would be widespread,

particularly if linked with growing difficulties over Rhodesia resulting

from a hardening South African attitude. Such a decision might however

be more defensible if it were part of a new approach to the problems of

Southern Africa as a whole including Rhodesia. Doubt was also cast on

the economic arguments adva ced in support of supplying the equipment. Our trade with Middle African countries which might be jeopardised by

policies favourable to South Africa, somewhat exceeded in total our trade

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