Basic HTML Version
8
Rhodesia, tbat the black population is
in the main a serving class. Many of
the white Rhodesians, maybe perbaps
1 could say nearly aH, employ black
servants in various areas wbether in
their bornes or in tbeir fields. Do
these white people fear the blacks?
A.
I would say that that's just about
the last thought that enters their minds.
The blacks become part of the family.
For example, we have people working
for us today who were working for my
parents before me, and they are, as 1
say, part of the family. They are our
friends. Fear - we just don't under–
stand what this means as far as our
relations with the black man are con–
cerned. We read about it in other parts
of the world. But I would say that
people who visit our country find it diffi–
cult to deny that race relatioas in this
country are probably more harmonious
than in almost any other country in the
world - relations between black and
the white. I notice that vtsttors re–
mark on this almost with moootonous
regularity.
Q .
W hat about the crime rate in
Rhodesia?
A.
We have a very sophisticated Sta–
tistical Department here which is recog–
nized throughout the world and is
praised for its work, so 1 think the
figures are pretty accu.rate. This is one of
the few countries in the world where the
crime cate has decreased over the last
four
oc
five years. Funny enough, with
the advance of civilization there is usual–
Iy an advance in crime rate. Rhodesia
is one of the exceptioos
in
the world.
Q .
What about pollution in your
country, Mr. Smith? l've already seen
examples of the smokestacks belcbing
smoke into the air. Of course the
climate is marvelous and the air is, so
far as 1 have seen around the country,
clear. Yet, as you continue to develop
aod to iodustrialize you will even–
tuaUy find the same overcrowding,
the same smog or whatever you cail
it in
this
country - smoke-laden
air
- tbe same eovironmental intrusions
into the ecological balance as in other
developed countries. Are you taking
steps to prevent pollution
in
this
area?
The
PLAIN TRUTH
A.
Yes, l'm happy to be able to teU
you that as yet we have no real
pollution problem. We have got a few
smokestacks belching smoke as you have
said, but this is infinitesimal at the
moment. Nevertheless, we are conscious
of the tremendous pollution problem in
the world and we have decided that we
will deal with our problem now, and
try
to avoid it ever getting to a stage
where it becomes a real problem. In
fact, during our last sit-io of Parliament
only a few months ago, we passed a new
piece of legislation giving us additional
powers to curb pollution; so we are
conscious of this and it is our intention
to try to ensure that our country goes on
being a clean, fresh, open country as
you have said.
Q .
You have extensive deposits of
chromium in this couotry. Chromium
is
oecessary for the production of
staioless steel and maoy other metals
in a space-age industry, and 1 under–
stand the United States was one of
your principal customers along with
perhaps, the Common Market and
Bri taio. Sanctions obviously would
have cut off a great deal of the flow
of chromium from Rhodesia, at Ieast
into those Western democracies. Do
you waot to commeot oo that situa–
tion?
A.
Yes, I am happy to say a few words
about chrome because we have, 1 believe,
the finest chrome deposits in the world.
I should know, because they happen
to be in the little town in which 1 was
boro and in which I still live today.
Not only was the United States one of
our main customers, a big United States
company actually owns the chrome mine
and still works it. However, since U.D.I.
[Unilateral Declaration of Indepen–
dence], none of that chrome has actually
gone to the United States; 1 can assure
you the mines are working to a greater
capacity than they have ever worked
before in the history of Rhodesia, so the
chrome is going somewhere. But accord–
ing to my information, not to the
country from which the owoers stem,
namely the United States of America.
Q.
Would you like to tell us where
the chrome is going?
A.
No, 1 regret to say 1 can't tell you
that, but it is certainly going outside
September 1971
the African contineot; it's going to the
rest of the world. 1 have a suspicion,
indeed more than a suspicioo, that quite
a Iot of it is actually going behiod the
lron Curtain to Commuoist countries.
Q .
And this, do you believe, with the
koowledge of the American owners?
A.
l'm unaware of that.
Q,
What about trade with Com–
munist China - is there any?
A.
There is sorne, but 1 aro celuctant
to allow myself to be drawn on that one.
Perhaps, 1 could just say one othec thing
io answer to your previous question. You
asked whether chrome was going behind
the Icon Curtain with the knowledge of
the American company - no. Once the
chrome is produced, 1 would like to
make it clear, it has oothing to do with
the Americans, and they couldn't pos–
sibly be accused of being party to supply–
ing a Communist country with chrome.
The chrome is a strategic material; and
since sanctioos were imposed, chrome,
Iike many other strategic materials, was
then dealt with
by
a Government organi–
zation which deals with the export. This
is, of course, sub judice and confidential.
So,
it is taken out of the hands of the
chrome producers. I wouldn't like to
implicate Amecicans
in
selling their
chrome to a Communist country.
Q.
Mr.
Smith, wbat is your personal
attitude toward the American Govern–
meot, toward Mr. Nixon's Admiois–
tratioo and the American adoptioo of
sanctions?
A.
We were disappointed. Of course,
it wasn't the Nixon Administration that
adopted the sanction, let me make that
clear. We were disappointed that the
Americans should have been party to
this as the British. More so the British,
because they were actually the sponsors
of sanctions. Again, it wasn't the present
British Government, it was the previous
Socialist Government in Britain. And we
wece particularly sorry that this should
come from two countries with whom we
have been closely associated ever since
we've been here. We, as you no doubt
know, were previously a part of the
British Commonwealth. We've always
stood very closely to Britain and the
(Contin11ed on page 45)