LAGOS CONFERENCE Wilson Rides Out Calls For Force

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30957, 13 January 1966, Page 11

LAGOS CONFERENCE Wilson Rides Out Calls For Force

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) LAGOS, January 12. The Commonwealth conference moved into its last session today with the Prime Minister of Britain, Mr Wilson, riding out African demands that Britain take up arms against Rhodesia’s white regime.

Mr Wilson told the conference yesterday that new, still secret, economic weapons would be thrown in if necessary to topple the breakaway rulers in Salisbury.

He was making a surprise reply to a blistering attack on Britain’s Rhodesia policy by the Prime Minister of Sierra Leone, Sir Albert Margai, conference sources said.

Sir Albert Margai demanded military action at once to crush the regime of Mr lan Smith and charged Britain with blocking United Nations action to bring it down.

In reply Mr Wilson explained Britain’s opposition to military intervention and reiterated her responsibibility for the crisis posed by Rhodesia's unilateral seizure of independence last November 11. As well as hinting at the new economic weapons, Mr Wilson told the 20-nation conference sanctions had already halved Rhodesia’s foreign trade. Conference sources said Sir Albert Margai’s speech was the toughest attack on Britain’s handling of the crisis at yesterday’s opening session. But earlier, the Zambian Vice-President, Mr Reuben Kamanga, had made a trenchant demand for Britain to use force and said he was not convinced sanctions would succeed in bringing down the defiant Rhodesians. Sources said he spoke vehemently. Otherwise, first-day speeches were moderate in tone. As well as considering ways

to topple the Salisbury regime, the conference is also discussing future constitutional advance for Rhodesia including its advance to African majority rule. Yesterday the conference chairman, the Nigerian Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, proposed in his opening speech that Britain should announce a target date by which the African majority would take over control through a phased programme.

The delegates are also discussing Commonwealth help for Zambia in its vulnerable position as Rhodesia’s neighbour and major trading partner.

The New Zealand Press Association correspondent in Lagos said New Zealand called for patience and moderation so that economic measures could achieve their objective and a crash programme for the training of

African Rhodesians might be set in motion.

Commonwealth conference sources say this was the kernel of a speech delivered by New Zealand's chief delegate. Sir Thomas Macdonald, during the first closed session on the two-day meeting.