MR. THOMSON HAVING TALKS IN NAIROBI WITH PRESIDENT KENYATTA; SEATED WITH PRESIDENT KENYATTA AND MR. MAURICE FOLEY, THE BRITISH MINISTER OF AFRICAN AFFAIRS; THOMSON AND FOLEY SHAKING HANDS WITH KENYAN OFFICIALS; PRESIDENT KENYATTA LEAVING.




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Background: MR. GEORGE THOMSON, THE BRITISH MINISTER HANDLING RHODESIAN AFFAIRS, RETURNED TO SALISBURY TODAY (WEDNESDAY) TO RESUME TALKS WITH MR. IAN SMITH, THE LEADER OF THE RHODESIAN REGIME, AFTER A FOUR-DAY TOUR OF OTHER AFRICAN STATES. MR. THOMSON HAS BEEN CONFERRING WITH ZAMBIA, MALAWI, UGANDA, KENYA AND TANZANIA ABOUT BRITAIN'S TERMS FOR SETTLING THE THREE-YEAR-OLD RHODESIAN PROBLEM.

MR. THOMSON'S LAST CALL BEFORE RETURNING TO SALISBURY WAS IN NAIROBI, WHERE HE HAD TALKS WITH OFFICIAL INCLUDING PRESIDENT KENYATTA OF KENYA. THE TALKS, WHICH LASTED ABOUT AN HOUR, ALSO INCLUDED MR. MAURICE FOLEY, THE BRITISH MINISTER OF AFRICAN AFFAIRS, WHO IS ACCOMPANYING MR. THOMSON, AND OTHER BRITISH DIPLOMATS, SOME OF THEM STATIONED IN NAIROBI.

BEFORE LEAVING NAIROBI TODAY FOR SALISBURY, MR. THOMSON SAID HE HAD TOLD PRESIDENT KENYATTA AND THE OTHER LEADERS OF THE COUNTRIES HE'D VISITED THAT BRITAIN WOULD STAND BY ITS PLEDGE OF NO INDEPENDENCE OF RHODESIA BEFORE MAJORITY RULE. IT'S BELIEVED THAT MR. THOMSON HAS ALSO BEEN OBTAINING THE VIEWS OF THE AFRICAN LEADERS OF THE LATEST BRITISH MOVES TO SOLVE THE RHODESIAN PROBLEM.

MR. THOMSON AND MR. SMITH WILL RETURN TO THE CONFERENCE TABLE IN SALISBURY TOMORROW TO TRY ONCE AGAIN TO HAMMER OUT A SETTLEMENT AGREEABLE TO BOTH SIDES.

THE POSSIBILITY THAT AN AGREEMENT WILL BE REACHED IS SAID TO BE NOW GREATER EVER BEFORE, BUT THE TALKS COULD STILL FOUNDER ON RHODESIA'S REFUSAL TO ACCEPT BRITISH DEMANDS FOR AN EXTERNAL WATCHDOG AUTHORITY TO PROTECT THE POLITICAL RIGHTS OF THE AFRICAN MAJORITY IN ANY NEW CONSTITUTION.