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THIS D O C U M E N T I S T H E P R O P E R T Y O F H E R B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y S G O V E R N M E N T
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C O P Y NO
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19 M a y 1972 CABINET
RHODESIA:
THE PEARCE
REPORT
N o t e b y t h e S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e f o r F o r e i g n a n d C o m m o n w e a l t h
Affairs
1,
T h e R e p o r t of t h e C o m m i s s i o n o n R h o d e s i a n O p i n i o n u n d e r t h e
c h a i r m a n s h i p of L o r d P e a r c e h a s b e e n c i r c u l a t e d to t h e C a b i n e t ,
2,
I n o w c i r c u l a t e at A n n e x a draft s t a t e m e n t which I p r o p o s e , subject
t o t h e a g r e e m e n t of m y c o l l e a g u e s , t o m a k e i n t h e H o u s e of C o m m o n s o n ,
T u e s d a y 23 M a y ,
A D-H
F o r e i g n and C o m m o n w e a l t h
19 M a y 1972 Office ANNEX
RHODESIA:
DRAFT PARLIAMENTARY
1.
With y o u r p e r m i s s i o n , M r S p e a k e r ,
to m a k e a s t a t e m e n t about R h o d e s i a .
STATEMENT
a n d t h a t of t h e H o u s e , I w i s h
2.
O n 2 5 N o v e m b e r 1971 I a n n o u n c e d t h e a p p o i n t m e n t of a C o m m i s s i o n
u n d e r L o r d P e a r c e to a s c e r t a i n w h e t h e r the P r o p o s a l s for a S e t t l e m e n t
which I h a d a g r e e d with M r Smith w e r e a c c e p t a b l e to the R h o d e s i a n people
as a whole.
T h e P e a r c e C o m m i s s i o n h a v e c o m p l e t e d t h e i r difficult t a s k
w i t h i n d e p e n d e n c e , s k i l l a n d d e v o t i o n a n d t h e t e x t of t h e i r c o m p r e h e n s i v e
R e p o r t will b e in t h e Vote Office w h e n I sit d o w n .
The Government are
v e r y grateful to L o r d P e a r c e and h i s fellow C o m m i s s i o n e r s .
3.
L o r d P e a r c e and h i s V i c e - C h a i r m a n have r e a c h e d the conclusion
f i r s t t h a t t h e g r e a t m a j o r i t y of t h o s e w h o g a v e t h e i r o p i n i o n s t o t h e
C o m m i s s i o n h a d a s u f f i c i e n t u n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e c o n t e n t a n d i m p l i c a t i o n s
of t h e P r o p o s a l s t o p a s s j u d g m e n t o n t h e m ; s e c o n d , t h a t t h e P r o p o s a l s
w e r e a c c e p t a b l e t o t h e g r e a t m a j o r i t y of E u r o p e a n s ; t h i r d , t h a t t h e
m a j o r i t y of A f r i c a n s r e j e c t e d t h e m .
The Commission have therefore
c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e p e o p l e of R h o d e s i a a s a w h o l e d i d n o t r e g a r d t h e
P r o p o s a l s a s acceptable a s a b a s i s for independence.
They explain
in d e t a i l t h e i r r e a s o n s for r e a c h i n g this conclusion, t h e i r a p p r o a c h to
their t a s k and the m e t h o d s which they used for testing opinion.
They
c o n s i d e r t h e e x t e n t a n d e f f e c t of i n t i m i d a t i o n , t h e v a l i d i t y of t h e c l a i m
that the Chiefs speak for t h e i r people on political m a t t e r s , the m e a s u r e
of u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e P r o p o s a l s a n d t h e r e a s o n s g i v e n f o r a c c e p t a n c e
o r r e j e c t i o n of t h e m .
Inevitably there are some p a r a g r a p h s which deal
with p a r t i c u l a r l y contentious i s s u e s and which will be widely and p r o p e r l y
debated both h e r e and in R h o d e s i a .
4.
When Hon M e m b e r s have r e a d the R e p o r t I hope that they will study
o n c e a g a i n t h e t e r m s of t h e p r o p o s e d s e t t l e m e n t f o r a l t h o u g h t h e p r o p o s a l s
h a v e failed t o gain a c c e p t a n c e t h e y s t i l l r e p r e s e n t a g e n u i n e a t t e m p t to find
a s e n s i b l e a n d i n a l l t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s a j u s t s o l u t i o n of R h o d e s i a ' s
special social and political p r o b l e m s ,
5,
H o n M e m b e r s w i l l f i n d i n t h e R e p o r t a w i d e v a r i e t y of v i e w s
e x p r e s s e d b y p e o p l e of a l l r a c e s .
I hope that p a r t i c u l a r attention will
be given to t h o s e opinions and m e m o r a n d a given b y p e r s o n s who a r e c l e a r l y
intent upon furthering m u l t i - r a c i a l co-operation.
6.
T h e y i l l u s t r a t e v e r y c l e a r l y the d i l e m m a facing anyone who t r i e s
to r e - e s t a b l i s h in R h o d e s i a the b a s i s for a m u l t i - r a c i a l society.
7.
The choice lies starkly between a compromise
definition will not wholly satisfy anyone but which will
a f o o t i n t h e d o o r of e v o l u t i o n a r y p o l i t i c a l c h a n g e , a n d
c o m p l e t e p o l a r i s a t i o n of t h e r a c e s a n d t h e p r o s p e c t of
settlement which by
gain for the A f r i c a n s
a rapid and
c e r t a i n conflict'.
8.
I t m a y b e t h a t o n f u r t h e r r e f l e c t i o n t h e m a j o r i t y of R h o d e s i a n s ,
A f r i c a n a n d E u r o p e a n , w i l l d e c i d e t o c h o o s e t h e w a y of c o m p r o m i s e a n d
to work t o g e t h e r for o r d e r l y political c h a n g e .
I devoutly hope so for the
s a k e of a l l S o u t h e r n A f r i c a ,
9.
I t w i l l b e a p p a r e n t t o H o n M e m b e r s t h a t t h e n e g o t i a t i o n s of
N o v e m b e r followed by the P e a r c e R e p o r t have created a situation
in which m a n y new i d e a s will be c u r r e n t and in which positions which
h i t h e r t o h a v e b e e n inflexible, could b e c o m e m o r e fluid.
It i s c l e a r
t h e r e f o r e t h a t in t h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h e r e m u s t be t i m e for r e f l e c t i o n ,
p a r t i c u l a r l y b y R h o d e s i a n s , for it i s f r o m t h e r e that any f r e s h i d e a s m u s t
come.
10,
H e r M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t f e e l t h a t p l e n t y of t i m e s h o u l d b e g i v e n
in which the position can be clarified.
We feel that the b e s t a t m o s p h e r e
f o r c o n s t r u c t i v e d i s c u s s i o n a n d a d v a n c e w i l l be g i v e n if f r o m t h e s t a r t w e
continue the s i t u a t i o n a s it i s t o d a y , i n c l u d i n g s a n c t i o n s , until we c a n
judge w h e t h e r o r not an opportunity for a s a t i s f a c t o r y s e t t l e m e n t will
occur once m o r e .
If t h e r e a r e t o b e p r o c e s s e s of c o n s u l t a t i o n i n s i d e
Rhodesia they will take a considerable t i m e .
Accordingly it is likely
t h a t w e s h a l l h a v e t o a s k f o r t h e r e n e w a l of t h e s a n c t i o n s o r d e r i n
November,
Meanwhile H e r Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t will k e e p e v e r y
option open,
11,
T h e r e will b e s o m e who on r e a d i n g the R e p o r t will feel t h a t
w e h a v e d o n e a l l t h a t c a n b e e x p e c t e d of u s a s f a r a s h e l p i n g t h e R h o d e s i a n s
b a c k t o l e g a l i t y i s c o n c e r n e d a n d t h a t w e s h o u l d w a s h o u r h a n d s of t h e
matter from now on,
I m u s t in h o n e s t y say to all R h o d e s i a n s that we
a r e v e r y n e a r l y a t t h e e n d of t h e r o a d i n o u r a b i l i t y t o h e l p t h e m t o a
s o l u t i o n of t h e i r p r o b l e m s .
But I would ask Hon M e m b e r s to r e m e m b e r
that Britain is the only country which can r e s t o r e to Rhodesia its i n t e r ­
national status and Britain is the only country which can, by the m e a n s
of a s e t t l e m e n t , l e g a l l y l i f t s a n c t i o n s off t h e i r s h o u l d e r s . F o r t h e s e
r e a s o n s whatever t o m o r r o w m a y hold I t r u s t that Hon M e m b e r s m a y feel,
w h e n t h e y h a v e r e a d t h e R e p o r t , t h a t w e s h o u l d n o t c u t off h o p e f r o m
Rhodesia today,
A debate on these m a t t e r s can be a r r a n g e d through
the usual channels.
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