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Co
bers
~$f. \i l¡h illt1
* Rhodesia
is
a special
case,
with its
longtime Commonwealth affiliotion currently in
unilateral/y
declored its
independence from
Britoin
in 1965.
were once colonies of Britain and who
had their modern sovereignty given to
them by her - sovereignty which Brit–
ain would not think of violating! But
sorne of the African members of the
Commonwealth feel they must tell Brit–
ain what she can or cannot do in Africa.
Mr. Heath, however, was in no mood
to be lectured to by former colonies
who have been heavily aided and
assisted in so many ways by the "Mother–
Country." The British Prime Minister
was prepared to dig bis heels in- come
what may!
Head-on Collision
A
verted
So tense were the discussions that the
Commonwealth leaders felt it wise to
retire behind closed doors to carry on
their bitter marathon debate - begirí–
ning at 8:30 p. m. and ending
at
4
o'clock the next morning. The only
thing which prevented a number of
Commonwealth leaders from taking
their nations out of the club right
during the Conference was that a com–
promise solution was reached.
An eight-nation team of Common–
wealth members was appointed to look
into Britain's daim that it was necessary
to sell South Africa arms in order to
counterbalance growing Russian influ–
ence in the Indian Ocean and the South
Atlantic.
As if to underscore Mr. Heath's con–
tention, a Soviet destroyer, a cruiser and
two supply ships roved omínously off
Singapore, heading for the Indiao
Ocean, right duriog this very debate on
the importance of countering Russian
naval power.
It will probably take the eight-nation
d oubt. lt
Commonwealth commtsston about six
months to examine this matter and
make their report. But whatever their
findings or recommendations, the Brit–
ish Prime Minister has made it clear that
Britain will maintain her sovereign
right to do whatever she feels is in her
national interest - the chips can fall
where they may!
Dr. Nkrumah, former Prime Minister
of Ghana, tried to persuade all African
members of the Commonwealth to pul!
out unless Britain installed a black·
majority government in Rhodesia.
But it was President Milton Obote
who really spearheaded an attempt to
aligo as many black African Common–
wealth members against the "Mother–
Country" as possible. He didn't succeed.
While en route back from the Com–
monwealth Conference, he was over-