SALISBURY; SMITH SPEAKING -- SOUND ON FILM.



TRANSCRIPT: SMITH: "I WAS NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT MR. THOMSON INFORMED THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YESTERDAY THAT THE BRITISH HAD STOOD FIRM ON THE QUESTION OF NIBMAR AND WOULD NOT AGREE TO ITS REMOVAL, UNLESS THEY WERE SATISFIED THAT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES." THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH HAS BEEN PATENTLY OBVIOUS TO THE RHODESIAN FOR SOME TIME: NAMELY, THAT THE BRITISH WILL NOT BE PREPARED TO REMOVE THEIR ORIGINAL NIBMAR UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN SUBSTITUTING ANOTHER NIBMAR. LET ME MAKE ONE POINT VERY CLEAR. BECAUSE THE RHODESIAN GOVERNMENT HAVE TAKEN A STRONG STAND AGAINST EXTREMISTS ON THE ONE SIDE, THE BRITISH SHOULD NOT DELUDE THEMSELVES INTO THINKING THAT WE WILL ACCEDE TO EQUALLY IMPOSSIBLE DEMANDS FROM THE OTHER EXTREME. NOW, ONCE AGAIN, IT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO EXERCISE PATIENCE AND RESTRAINT, WHILE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT CONSIDER THE POSITIONS, AS IT HAS BEEN PLACED BEFORE THEM BY MR. THOMSON. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO KEEP THEM COMPLETELY IN THE PICTURE FROM THIS DISTANCE. HE DID SAY, BEFORE DEPARTING, THAT HIS PROPOSALS WOULD BE LEFT ON THE TABLE; HOWEVER, I MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO HIM IN LANGUAGE WHICH HE CONCEDED LEFT NO DOUBT IN HIS MIND, THAT THE BRITISH PROPOSALS FOR A SECOND SAFEGUARD WERE COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE TO US. IT IS MY HOPE THAT BRITISH WILL APPRECIATE THE STRENGTH OF OUR STAND ON THIS ISSUE; THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN WE ACCEPT A SECOND-CLASS INDEPENDENCE, A CONSTITUTION WHICH WILL MEAN IN THE END THAT WE ARE NOT MASTER IN OUR OWN HOUSE. THE BRITISH SHOULD KNOW BY NOW THAT WE WILL NEVER ACCEPT A CONSTITUTION AGAINST OUR BETTER JUDGEMENT - ALL THE MORE SO WHEN ONE REALISES THAT NIGERIA IS AN EXAMPLE OF BRITISH INDEPENDENCE ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. I DID POINT OUT TO MR. THOMSON BEFORE HE DEPARTED, THAT TIME WAS RUNNING OUT, AS WE WERE COMMITTED TO INTRODUCING OUR NEW CONSTITUTION, ONCE IT WAS FINALISED. HE ASSURED ME THAT HE AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WERE AWARE OF THIS FACT. FORTUNATELY, BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED THAT, MEANWHI
LE, THE DOORS REMAIN OPEN. FOR MY PART, I MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I WILL GO ON TRYING TO GET THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO SEE SENSE ON THIS ONE MAJOR OBSTACLE, WHICH IS BLOCKING OUR WAY."




Initials DHC/VS/BOB/PF



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: RHODESIAN PRESIDENT MR. IAN SMITH IS EXPECTED TO ISSUE A GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER LATER THIS WEEK ON THE LATEST ANGLO-RHODESIAN ATTEMPT TO SETTLE THE INDEPENDENCE DISPUTE IN HIS COUNTRY. ON TUESDAY NIGHT MR. SMITH MADE A NATION-WIDE TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCAST, IN WHICH HE OUTLINED HIS GOVERNMENT'S OBJECTIONS TO THE INDEPENDENCE PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD LAST WEEK BY BRITISH MINISTER MR. GEORGE THOMSON.

IN HIS BROADCAST MR. SMITH SAID........