Opposition To Wilson’s Rhodesian Policy

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30953, 8 January 1966, Page 13

Opposition To Wilson’s Rhodesian Policy

(A’.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) LAGOS, January 7. The British Prime Minister, Mr Harold Wilson, is expected to come under African fire when he attends the Commonwealth meeting on Rhodesia in Lagos next week. It will be Mr Wilson's second trip to Africa to settle the Rhodesia crisis.

An official announcement in Lagos last night said he would be at the meeting, called by Nigeria for next Tuesday and Wednesday.

At least 20 Commonwealth members are expected to be there, many of them African countries opposed to I Mr Wilson’s handling of the crisis. This will be the first Commonwealth Prime Minister’s conference to be held outside London and the first to be presided over by an African Prime Minister. It will also be the first time that the Commonwealth Secretariat, set up at a meeting in London last June, has been in action. Canada. Pakistan. Gambia,' Sierra Leone, Cyprus, Malta, I Jamaica and Uganda, besides: Britain and Nigeria, are all likely to attend. Australia, one 1

of the few countries to abstain : from active participation, will; send an observer to the talks News of Mr Wilson's mission came with fresh evidence that his oil embargo against I the Rhodesian Government is ; biting deeper. Private motorists in Rhodesia have had their petrol ra- ' tion cut back to one or two [ gallons a week. i Critical Stage Foreign airlines are also i affected. Aircraft registered outside the country will be i able to draw only enough fuel i to get them safely to their I next scheduled landing place J outside Rhodesia. , I Observers in oagos see the ijnew measures as first official I [Confirmation of the wide- “ spread belief that Rhodesia’s

loil situation has reached a! [critical stage. The Rhodesian Government; has maintained outward calm! ■and confidence over the oil [situation and Mr Smith him-) ! self said less than three weeks ago that the country had [stocks to last at least six months. I “Bluffing” But today's move, after vain efforts by Mr Smith to get oil . extracted from the 190-mile pipeline linking the Mozambique port of Beira with the

Umtali oil refinery, seems clear [proof that they were bluffing. Otherwise “backdoor” sup--11 plies which may have been 1 1 promised to Mr Smith have -[either been delayed or have ;; failed to materialise. 1 In Amsterdam, a shipping : spokesman said that the Dutch freighter Sloterkerk : was carrying only empty drums to Portuguese East Africa and not an oil cargo i for Rhodesia. I Reports had circulated i widely that the ship had a - cargo of 3000 drums of oil to j be unloaded at Beira.