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RhOdesia-
Ten Years Laler
SALISBURY, RHODESIA:
The nation which British Prime
Minister Harold Wilson said
would be brought down "in a
mauer of weeks, rather litan
months" celebrated its tenlh· an–
niversacy of independence on
November 11.
A friendless nation, defying
1be world, firmly commiued to
principies oliter countries de–
test, Rhodesia has emerged with
a stable government in a conti–
neot of coups, countercoups,
aod.revolutioos.
Few Rhodesians envisioned
the events that would follow
their unilateral
decla~ation
of
iodependence (U.D.J.) from
Britain litat Friday morning in
1965. Most expected a coostitu–
tional seulement over the week–
end. with Rhodesia accepted as
a Dominion within the British
Commonwealth. But the British
government would not back
down on its iosistence on a
speedy path to black majority
rule for the rebel colony.
lí
Haro\d Wilson, through lhe
Britisb.
a·ppoioted Govemor–
General in Salisbury, had or–
dered the arres! of the rebel
ART BUCHWALD
Explaining
the Grain Deal
to the Russians
WASHINGTON:
lt
must be
a terrible blow lo the Soviet
government to explain to their
people that they have had to
,buy American wbeat. and com
from the Uniled States because
their agricultura! plans have
fai!ed.
But they're probably'up to it.
Le1 us go to a Soviet school
and listen in on a class.
"AII right, Comrade Chil–
dren. Today we sh'all talk about
food. Who is greatest agricul–
tura! country in the world?"
· Class in unison: "Soviet
Union, Comrade Teaeher."
"That's good. Now we will
discuss Sputnik."
"Comrade Teacber."
"Wbat is it, Comrade !van?"
"Why. if the Soviet Union is
lhe greatest agricultura! country
in the world, do we buy wheat
and
corn and grain from
the
United States?"
"l'm glad . you asked that
question, you little bourgeois
counterrevolutionary Maoist..
prime minister and bis cabinet,
the whole
enterpris~
might have
failed. While Wilson hesitated,
Rhodesia consolidated.
Within weeks, Harold Wilson
appeared at the U.N. urging all
members to cease trading with
the rebel government in Rho–
desia. Neighboring white-ruled
South Africa and the Portu–
guese éolony of Mozambique
refused to comply - a severe
blow to Wilson's strategy.
Negotiatiorts were tried
again. Two sets of talks fol–
lowed between the two prime
ministers, on board H.M.S.
Ti–
ger
(1966) and H.M.S.
Fearless
(1968). The prime ministers
agreed, but Mr. Smilit was un–
able to
sell
the proposals to lhe
right wing ofhis party.
A furtber blow to a seltle–
ment carne in 1969, when Rho–
desia introduced a republicao
constitution, breaking lhe final
link witli Britain - the Crown.
Ecooomy
Still_unrecognized and
a
vir–
tual pariah among lhe nations,
Rhodesia was battling ' through
on the economic front.
Tbe (eason we are buying
wheat and corn and grain from
the United States is because of
détente. Our leader Comrade
Bre2:hnev is bringing peace lo
the world by accepting capitalist
surplus food whicb we don't
need. Détente in English means
'to buy grain.' "
"Comrade Teacher, why does
th_e United States have a surplus
ofwheat and grain and com?"
"Because, you stupid Ivan,
the United States has no five–
year plan, and they grow móre
litan they can eat. In Soviet
Union we grow just enough
food for everybody,
so
there
is
no waste. But lhe capilalists
plant wheat and coro whether
they need it or nol:"
"Why do they do this, Com–
rade Teacher?"
"!t's simple. There is no state
planning commission to tell
them how much wheat and
grain they
can
grow.
1
n the So–
viet Union we 1ell fanners how
much wheal they should plant.
The farmers don't grow a
bushel more than what the'siate
planning commission tells them.
Now sit down aod shut up.
lvan."
"But, Comrade Teacher, if
the state
planning commission
telfs Soviet farmers bow much
wheat they can grow, and litey
grow enough wheat for every–
one, then what are we going 'to
WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 6. 1975
In the first eight years after
U.D.I., Rhodesia's production
in lite mining sector more than
doubled. Gold, nickel, asbestos,
chrome and coal are al! mined
in large quantities and like
to–
bacco sold abroad .secretly.
Chrome is openly purchased by
the U.S. as a strategic metal.
The manufacturing sector
grew in leaps and bounds fol–
lowing independet\ce. As for–
eign goods became un1lvailable,
enterprising Rhodesian busi–
nessmen produced their own
versions. At ñrst, these products
were often inferior. but now
they rank as top quality prod–
ucts anywhere in the wórld.
While F.ord and BMC closed
down thei-r motor assembly
plants due to a lack of spare
parts, French and ltalian com–
panies opened new ones.
However, cars remain Rho–
desia's most apparent problem.
A newcomer to Rhodesia soon
notices lite age and 1he price of
most cars. Pre-1965 models sell
at exorbitant prices, but cus–
tomers have no choice as money
is not available for luxu.ry im–
portS. Petrol is rationecl 'not
be–
cause it is unavailable, but
because there
is
no foreign cur–
rency to pay for it.
Settlement?
The change of govemrnent in
Britain in
1970
opened tbe door
do with lite American wbeat?"
"Eat il, you Trotskyite. We
are going to eat the Arnerican
grain to prove to the United
States _that communism will gét
fal on capitalism's mistakes.
Can we now discuss Spulnik?' '
"Comrade Teacher, would it
not be better to refuse to buy
American wheat
so
they will be
stuck with it and then litey will
have a depression and we can
bury them?"
"!van, you ask stupid ques–
tions. If we buy American
wheat, the price of bread goes
up in lite United States and
then you have depression and
to a new settlement opportu·
nity. Rhodesian leaders mean–
wbile...Jl.¡t.ve approved tbe
principie of gradual progress to
black majority rule.
The situation has been com–
plicated by other changes how–
ever. Future direct negotiations
are unlikely between Britain
and the Rhodesian government.
The formula now is for Rbo–
desia's black nationalist groups
and the white govemment to
get together on a joint program.
When these two opposing forces
agree, British recognition will
be a mere formality.
Also complicating the
chances of a real settlemeot is
tbe division within the black
nationallst movement itself. The
A .N.C. (African National
Council), united only last De–
cember, has now split again into
two facúons.
The hard-line • terrorist fac–
tion, based in Lusaka. Zambia,
is led by Bisbop Abel Muza–
rewa. The more moderate wing
is led by Joshua Nkomo who
presently has a strong popular
following among the African
populatioo.
The three-year-old war
against black terrorism is an in–
creasing drain on the oation's
economy.
All
wbite men
be–
tween the ages of 18 and
50
are
drafted into the security forces
for a period of five weeks, two
finally comes the revolution."
"But you said lhe
Unit~d
States has
a
surplus ofwheat."
' 'They do unless we buy it.
!van,
1
don't want to send you
to the KGB office,
so
wiU
you
stop asking so many rollen
questions."
" l'm
sorry,
Comrade Teacher.
I was only asking for my
molher.''
"Why were you asking for
your mother?"
. "Because she said she
couldn't give me any bread for
lunch."
"It's nonsense that your
motber couldn't buy bread
or three times a year. This prac–
tice is noticeably harming Rho–
desia's economy and
is
leading
to disillusionment and despair
among many Rhodesians. A
significan! number of young
whites, faced with a lifetime of
military service, are leaving the
country.
!f Smith were to make a ma–
jor concession to the blacks,
there is now a good chance of a
peaceful seulement and recog–
niüon from tbe community of
natioos. Once adamant about
no power-sharing, the ruling
Rhodesian Front is now tallcing
openly of a mixed-race cabinet
aod the possibility of
a
black
prime minister. Racial barriers
are gradually being removed,
and equal opportunity
is
being
introduced.
Whatever the settlement, the
whites believe they have earned
a permanent place under the
Rhodesian sun. Prime Minister
!an Smitb has streSSed he wants
a society where "neither race
dominates the other."
Tbat's not an easy task in a
country where blacks out–
number whites
22
to
l.
But,
af.
ter defying the world for ten
years, Rhodesians are not about
to surrender to the forces of
black ' nationalism, terrorism.
eéonomic sanctions &IJd ostra–
cism by the world.
o
- Melvln Rhodes
wben lhe Soviet Union has had
another bumper crop of grain.
Let me see the hands of anyone
else in the class whose mothers
couldn't buy bread this mom–
ing. . . . Put down your hands,
you fools: Do you want to get
us all arrested?"
"What should
1
tell my
motber, Comrade Teacher'?"
"Tell her wbat our great
leader Comrade Lenin's wife
said wben she was told the
people had no bread."
"What was lhat, Comrade
Teacher?"
"'Let them eat cake.'"
(A)rprtltlttt
L•1A'lf'*'ln
Ti-.
5