CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 334

(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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