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THIS
DOCUMENT IS T H E PROPERTY OF H I S BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
Printed
for the Cabinet.
June 1 9 3 1 .
SECRET.
Copy No.
5
C P . 162 (31).
CABINET.
FUTURE
Joint
Memorandum
OF S O U T H E R N A N D N O R T H E R N
RHODESIA.
by the Secretary
of State for Dominion
Secretary
of State for the
Colonies.
Affairs
and
the
A T a m e e t i n g of t h e C a b i n e t h e l d o n t h e 1 5 t h A p r i l , C a b i n e t C o n c l u s i o n
2 2 (31) 10. i t w a s a g r e e d , i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e p r o p o s a l s m a d e i n O P . 8 4 (31),
t h a t w e should consult t h e L e a d e r s of t h e C o n s e r v a t i v e a n d L i b e r a l P a r t i e s w i t h
r e g a r d t o t h e policy t o be a d o p t e d a s t o t h e f u t u r e of S o u t h e r n a n d N o r t h e r n
R h o d e s i a , a n d t h a t , a f t e r d o i n g so, w e s h o u l d r e p o r t f u r t h e r t o t h e C a b i n e t .
' . ' D i s c u s s i o n s h a v e n o w t a k e n p l a c e w i t h n o m i n a t e d r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e
two P a r t i e s in question (Mr. A m e r y a n d L o r d W i n t e r t o n for the Unionists, a n d
Sir R. H a m i l t o n a n d M r . P y b u s f o r t h e L i b e r a l s ) , a n d , a s a r e s u l t , a n a g r e e d
s t a t e m e n t of policy h a s been d r a f t e d i n t h e f o r m of a r e p l y t o a p r o p o s e d
Q u e s t i o n i n t h e H o u s e of C o m m o n s . T h i s s t a t e m e n t i s a s follows : —
" H i s M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t i n t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m h a v e given c a r e f u l
c o n s i d e r a t i o n t o t h e r e q u e s t received from t h e G o v e r n m e n t of S o u t h e r n
R h o d e s i a a n d f r o m t h e elected m e m b e r s of t h e L e g i s l a t i v e C o u n c i l i n
N o r t h e r n R h o d e s i a , t h a t a conference should be h e l d i n o r d e r to c o n s i d e r
t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of a m a l g a m a t i n g N o r t h e r n R h o d e s i a w i t h S o u t h e r n R h o d e s i a
u n d e r a c o n s t i t u t i o n s i m i l a r t o t h e p r e s e n t c o n s t i t u t i o n of S o u t h e r n
Rhodesia.
H i s Majesty's Government in the U n i t e d K i n g d o m a r e not p r e p a r e d t o
a g r e e to t h e a m a l g a m a t i o n of N o r t h e r n a n d S o u t h e r n R h o d e s i a a t t h e p r e s e n t
t i m e . T h e y c o n s i d e r t h a t a s u b s t a n t i a l l y g r e a t e r a d v a n c e should be m a d e
in t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of N o r t h e r n R h o d e s i a before a n y final o p i n i o n can b e
f o r m e d a s t o i t s f u t u r e . I t m u s t be r e m e m b e r e d t h a t it is less t h a n e i g h t
y e a r s since H i s M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t a s s u m e d d i r e c t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y for t h e
a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of N o r t h e r n R h o d e s i a . V e r y c o n s i d e r a b l e p r o g r e s s h a s been
m a d e d u r i n g these years, b u t even g r e a t e r c h a n g e s , affecting t h e whole
b a l a n c e of t h e v a r i o u s i n t e r e s t s i n t h e c o u n t r y , a r e a l m o s t c e r t a i n t o r e s u l t
from t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e m i n i n g i n d u s t r y . A t p r e s e n t t h e E u r o p e a n
p o p u l a t i o n is small a n d s c a t t e r e d over a w i d e e x t e n t of t e r r i t o r y , w h i l e t h e
p r o b l e m s of n a t i v e d e v e l o p m e n t a r e i n a s t a g e w h i c h m a k e s it i n e v i t a b l e
t h a t H i s M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t s h o u l d h e s i t a t e to let t h e m p a s s even
p a r t i a l l y o u t of t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t y .
On the other hand, H i s Majesty's Government, while considering t h a t
a m a l g a m a t i o n is n o t p r a c t i c a b l e n o w or i n t h e n e a r f u t u r e , do n o t w i s h t o
r e j e c t t h e i d e a of a m a l g a m a t i o n i n p r i n c i p l e should c i r c u m s t a n c e s i n t h e i r
o p i n i o n j u s t i f y i t a t a l a t e r d a t e , a n d fully r e a l i s e t h e p r e j u d i c i a l effect
u p o n p r o g r e s s i n both c o u n t r i e s if such a r e j e c t i o n w e r e r e g a r d e d a s a
p e r m a n e n t b a r to t h e i r f u t u r e evolution. T h e i r view is t h a t f o r some t i m e
to come Northern R h o d e s i a s h o u l d c o n t i n u e t o w o r k o u t i t s d e s t i n y a s a
s e p a r a t e e n t i t y , o b s e r v i n g t h e closest possible c o - o r d i n a t i o n w i t h i t s
n e i g h b o u r s , a n d especially w i t h S o u t h e r n R h o d e s i a .
H i s M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t feel t h a t , i n o r d e r t o p r e v e n t m i s c o n c e p t i o n ,
they should s t a t e a t t h e o u t s e t t h a t t h e c o n d i t i o n s of a n y scheme of a m a l g a ­
m a t i o n , if a n d w h e n i t a r i s e s for a c t u a l discussion, m u s t m a k e a definite
[5636]
p r o v i s i o n for t h e w e l f a r e a n d d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e n a t i v e p o p u l a t i o n .
B a r o t s e l a n d w o u l d necessarily r e q u i r e s e p a r a t e t r e a t m e n t , a n d a r r a n g e m e n t s
m a y possibly h a v e t o be m a d e i n r e g a r d to o t h e r p a r t s of N o r t h e r n Rhodesia.
W i t h o u t g o i n g i n t o d e t a i l s of these c o n t i n g e n c i e s , i t is sufficient t h a t it should
be i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e t e r r i t o r y to be a m a l g a m a t e d w i t h S o u t h e r n Rhodesia
w o u l d n o t necessarily h a v e b o u n d a r i e s c o t e r m i n o u s w i t h t h e present
b o u n d a r i e s of N o r t h e r n R h o d e s i a .
I t w i l l be r e m e m b e r e d t h a t , in o r d e r t o secure as g r e a t a measure of
c o n t i n u i t y of policy for t h e f u t u r e a s m a y be possible, t h e S e c r e t a r y of State
for t h e Colonies a n d I a r r a n g e d some few w e e k s a g o to confer w i t h members
of t h e t w o O p p o s i t i o n P a r t i e s o n t h i s m a t t e r . T h e conclusions w h i c h I have
a n n o u n c e d a r e , of course, t h o s e of H i s M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t , b u t I am
h a p p y to t h i n k , a s t h e r e s u l t of t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n s r e f e r r e d to, t h a t they are
likely to c o m m e n d themselves to m e m b e r s on t h e o t h e r s i d e of t h e H o u s e . "
I t w i l l be seen t h a t t h i s s t a t e m e n t e m b o d i e s t h e f o r m e r of t h e t w o a l t e r n a t i v e
policies set o u t in Section V I of O P . 84 (31), viz., a r e a s o n e d refusal t o consider
the proposed amalgamation at the present time.
I f t h i s s t a t e m e n t of policy i s a p p r o v e d by t h e C a b i n e t , it is proposed
t o a r r a n g e for Q u e s t i o n s to be a s k e d s i m u l t a n e o u s l y i n b o t h H o u s e s on T h u r s d a y ,
t h e 2 n d J u l y , a n d for t h e t e x t of t h e s t a t e m e n t t o be r e a d in reply in t h e H o u s e
of C o m m o n s , a n d a c o r r e s p o n d i n g s t a t e m e n t m a d e i n t h e H o u s e of L o r d s . I n
t h a t event, i t w o u l d be necessary t o c o m m u n i c a t e in a d v a n c e by t e l e g r a m to t h e
G o v e r n m e n t s of S o u t h e r n R h o d e s i a a n d N o r t h e r n R h o d e s i a t h e t e x t of the
proposed statement.
I n m a k i n g t h i s c o m m u n i c a t i o n t o t h e G o v e r n m e n t of
S o u t h e r n R h o d e s i a , t h e S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e for D o m i n i o n Affairs would propose to
a d d t h a t , h a v i n g r e g a r d to t h e v i e w w h i c h H i s M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t in the
U n i t e d K i n g d o m t a k e i n t h e m a t t e r , t h e y feel t h a t a conference a t t h e p r e s e n t
t o d i s c u s s t h e q u e s t i o n s involved a s p r o p o s e d by t h e G o v e r n m e n t of S o u t h e r n
R h o d e s i a l a s t a u t u m n w o u l d n o t serve a u s e f u l p u r p o s e , b u t t h a t H i s M a j e s t y ' s
G o v e r n m e n t fully a p p r e c i a t e t h e a d v a n t a g e s of t h e closest c o - o p e r a t i o n between
S o u t h e r n a n d N o r t h e r n R h o d e s i a on m a t t e r s of policy w h i c h a r e of common
i n t e r e s t t o b o t h t e r r i t o r i e s , a n d a r e a t all t i m e s r e a d y to f a c i l i t a t e consultation
h e t w e e n t h e t w o G o v e r n m e n t s w i t h a view to s u c h c o - o p e r a t i o n .
J. H.
P.
Downing
Street,
June 29, 1931.
T.