BRITAIN AND RHODESIA TODAY (SATURDAY) APPEARED ONCE AGAIN TO BE DEADLOCKED OVER A POSSIBLE SETTLEMENT IN THE INDEPENDENCE DISPUTE. ON THURSDAY (17 OCTOBER) MR. IAN SMITH, THE RHODESIAN LEADER, MET WITH MEMBERS OF HIS CABINET TO PREPARE A POINT-BY-POINT REPLY TO THE PROPOSALS LAID DOWN BY BRITAIN AT THE GIBRALTAR TALKS.

BARRING BIG CONCESSIONS FROM EITHER SIDE, PROSPECTS OF A BREAKTHROUGH SEEMED REMOTE FOLLOWING MR. SMITH'S RAPID CHANGE FROM APPARENT COMPLIANCY TO RENEWED OPPOSITION.

DURING THE WEEK, MR. SMITH ANNOUNCED THAT HE SAW DISTINCT POSSIBILITIES OF ENDING THE DISPUTE, BUT HE SUDDENLY BACKTRACKED BY REJECTING ANY SUGGESTION THAT RHODESIA SHOULD ACCEPT SOME KIND OF EXTERNAL AUTHORITY EMPOWERED TO VETO ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE ENTRENCHED CLAUSES IN THE CONSTITUTION. THIS WAS ONE OF THE SAFEGUARDS ON WHICH BRITAIN INSISTED TO PROTECT RHODESIA'S AFRICAN MAJORITY FORM RETROGRESSIVE LEGISLATION.