Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1962-03-31
S. Rhodesia In
u. n. Spotlight

United Nations, N. Y. - A
rapidly deteriorating" ra CT a |
situation in Southern Rhodesia
has been brought to world at
tention at the United Nations
with the possibility that the
British Government may b.
forced to revise its policy there
A tall, gray-haired former
missionary and Prime Minister
Garfield Todd and two African
nationalists, Joshua Nkomo anG
Paul Mushongo have spoken ou
here against the present atti-
tude of the British Government,
toward the white-dominated ad-
ministration in the central AT
rican territory. They have
warned of violence ahead be-
tween blacks and whites if it is
continued.
(Southern Rhodesia, a Brit
ish territory, is internally self
governing, although not an in
dependent territory, Africans
there who outnumber the
European residents roughly 10
to l argue that since most of
them are denied the vote and
there is no African representa-
ton in the Cabinet, internal
self-government is a misleading
description for what is in eff
feet the denial Of effective po-
litical power to nonwhites.
Britain gives the whites in
Southern Rhodesia virtually a
free hand in running the coun-
t1y.)
The explanation came in the
special Committee of II which
is considering whether Southern
Rhodesia should be classified as
-self-governing territory
and thus one on which reports
can be called for by the UN.
The resolution which gave the
committee this task also asks
Britain to repeal the present
controversial Constitution of
Southern Rhodesia. The resolu-
ton establishes a subcommittee
to watch over Britain's future
steps in Southern Rhodesia and
proposes that the UN General
Assembly fix an early date in
1868 for the emergence of
Southern Rhodesia as an indie
pendent African state.
The situation at the UN is
causing considerable embarrass-
ment to the British Government,
which is not entirely in agree
ment with the policies of Sir
Edgar Whitehead, Prime Minis
ter of Southern Rhodesia. But
the British member of the Com
mittee of II has so far played
a quiet role at it's meetings.
The United States has taken
the position that the United
Kingdom has continuing respon-
sibility to help the people of
Southern Rhodesia move toward
a form of government that
would give each element of the
population an equitable share of
opportunity and responsibility.
Mr.. Todd was born in New
Zealand and went to Southern
Rhodesia as a missionary in
1884. He entered politics and
became Prime Minister from
1e53-57. The committee seemed
especially impressed with his
presentation in which he admit
ted that was "using New York
as a backdoor to London" At
lacking the new Constitution of
Southern Rhodesia and the cleo
toral system to be used in next
October's elections, he recalled
that an investigating commits
sion appointed by the British
Government had reported in
1860 that no constitution could
succeed unless it was acceptable
to the majority of the people.
The Constitution, with it's
two-1oll system of registering,
he said, was remarkable" in
that it enabled Sir Edgar to
say that Britain had surrender
ed its power to intervene in
Southern Rhodesia, while per-
hitting Sir Hugh Foot, the
British representative on the
committee to say that Britain
was maintaining its interest and
power to influence Southern
Rkodesia.
Mr.. Todd, who was ousted
from the premiership because
he was too liberal for most
whites in Southern Rhodesia,
said he had come to New York
to prod the British Govern
ment into accepting what he
considered its responsibilities to-
yuorC Cc,,% how, DLaI.: