1.
SV MR. SMITH WITH REPORTERS (SOF).
1.19

2.
SV PAN....MR. SMITH'S CAR DRIVES AWAY
1.29


TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 1: QUESTION. "HAS THE CABINET REVIEWED ITS DECISION (ON THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS OVER INDEPENDENCE) IN PRINCIPLE THAT IT TOOK TWO WEEKS AGO OR ARE YOU PREPARED TO ANNOUNCED IT?"



SMITH: "WELL, NOW, I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS PUT TO ME THIS MORNING ALONG THIS LINE. MOST PEOPLE SEEM TO WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE GETTING AT IN THIS LETTER (TO MR. WILSON, THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER) WE SENT OVER. SO I WROTE THIS DOWN IN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, WHICH WAS ON MY DESK AND I THINK IF I READ IT TO YOU... OR RATHER, I HOPE, IT WILL SATISFY YOU......THIS IS MY ANSWER: HOW MANY TIMES HAVE MR. WILSON AND I TRIED TO FIND A SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HAD POSITIVE TRUTH THAT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN US ARE IRRECONCILABLE? I THING THE TIME HAS COME WHEN THE ONLY HONEST COURSE OPEN TO US IS TO INFORM OUR PEOPLE OF THE TRUTH. I WOULD SAY TO MR. WILSON: IF WE ARE NOW IN A POSITION TO CONTINUE, WE ARE BEING DECEITFUL AND WE ARE MISLEADING THE PEOPLE OF RHODESIA."



QUESTION: "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO INFORM OUR PEOPLE, PRIME MINISTER, OF THE TRUTH?"



SMITH: "I'M TELLING YOU NOW.....I THINK I'VE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH FOR THE TIME BEING".




Initials JT/V/RM/JM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE RHODESIAN CABINET CONTINUES TO MEET TO DISCUSS THE INDEPENDENCE CRISIS. IT MET FOR THE THIRD SUCCESSIVE DAY TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

(MEANWHILE, MR. WILSON IS EXPECTED TO SEND ANOTHER MESSAGE TO MR. SMITH TODAY -- THIS TIME A PRIVATE ONE -- IN A FURTHER EFFORT TO PREVENT RHODESIA FROM MAKING A UNILATERAL DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE).