1.
MV INTERIOR..Smith arriving at news conference PAN to newsmen seated (SILENT)
1.20

2.
SV Smith seated, speaking
1.20


SOUND STARTS: "We evidence....."



SOUND ENDS: ".....of our country".


3.
GV Newsmen seated PAN TO GV..Smith (SILENT)
1.33

4.
SV Smith seated, speaking
2.08


SOUND STARTS: "Well, they are in detention......"



SOUND ENDS: "lost their lives."



MR. SMITH TALKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE.



TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 2: SMITH: " We have evidence that certain institution which carried out a form of Gallup poll, just with the advent of the Pearce Commission arriving, where they had ninety per cent and some more than ninety per cent support for the proposals. But thereafter the intimidators set to work, and after a few days they ran against the brick wall of a hundred per cent 'no' vote. Well, I believe that this can only be caused by intimidation. And apart from this work of example which I have given you there are many, many other examples. I would like to tell you this -- that we have busy for some time now creating a case, a dossier, of all the intimidation which has taken place since the Pearce Commission arrived. This, I believe, in nearly completed and I hope that within a matter of a few days this will be submitted to the Pearce Commission -- and I have been given to understand that is a formidable... it constitutes a formidable array of evidence supporting the fact that the is tremendous intimidation amongst the Africans of our country.



"Well, they are in detention, I hope I didn't try to pretend they were in anything else. But we are satisfied on the evidence before us at the moment that this is the most suitable way of dealing with the incredible state which existed in this country for a few weeks, where -- as you know your selves -- not only was there intimidation. There was violence, there was rioting, that was looting, there was burning.... in fact some people even lost their lives."




Initials ES.2.15 ES.2.23



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Rhodesian Prime Minister Mr. Ian Smith, in his statement in Salisbury on Thursday (February 2) when he accused intimidators of forcing a 'no' vote from Africans against the Anglo-Rhodesian settlement, said he knew Africans generally SUPPORTED the settlement. Polls consulted before the arrival of Britain's Pearce Commission showed about 90 per cent of the African people wanted the settlement to taken place, he said the news conference. Mr. Smith did not, however, reveal any detailed of the polls he quoted.

On the issue of political leaders detained without trial during the work of the Pearce Commission -- testing the general acceptability of the proposed settlement among all Rhodesians -- Mr. Smith said it was the only way of dealing with what he called "an incredible situation".

SYNOPSIS: In Salisbury, Rhodesia, on Thursday Prime Minister Mr. Ian Smith attacked alleged African intimidators...and said the Africans generally DID want to see a settlement of the Anglo-Rhodesian independence dispute.

Speaking at a new conference, Mr. Smith also answered questions about black and white political leaders who had been detained during the work of Britain's Pearce Commission, which is testing general acceptability of the proposed settlement.