Once again the Labour Government ig on trial. Its record over the last three years is that of betraying me socialist principle after another, For many the end of the road came when it rushed through the racist ‘Commonwealth Immigration Bill through both Houses of Parliament. with indecent haste, Now the issue is Rhodesia , and the Labour movement ~ Trade Unions, Constituency Labour Parties, Co-operative societies, every section of the Movement must make it clear that betrayal here will be the end of the roai. The Tories in Parliament, in the Press ,and on the public platforms, are mounting the same sort of campaign as they did over the Kenya immigrants, attempting to force the government into panic — reactionary action. They use the lives of Africans as pawns in their sordid pelitical game. Negotiate now , they say, or the wmspeakable Smith will hang a few more of the hundred Africans in the Salisbury death cells. And-without a doubt there are ears in the Cabinet only too willing to listen to this sort of talk, just as they listened to Sandys,Powell, and Cyril Osborne over immigration. The Smith regime stands revealed as a naked ,brutal dictatorship,representing the interests of a handful of whites determ— ined to keep the black majority in perpetual bondage, It is moving steadily in the direction of full Apartheid on the South African model, and using its powers as a state to terrorise the African into subservience, African nationalism in Rhodesia has not shown the same growth as in other parts of the continent, since many Africans nourished the vain hope that Britain would see justise done, Witeen bas ruled this out from the start, Unlike the coloured people of Guyana or Mauritius the Rhodesian rebels are white "kith and kin", Nothing more severe than sanctions here, Sanctions have undoubtedly had some effect on the economy of Rhcedesia, but the living standards of the white ruling class was so high that pulling in the belts a few notches made little difference. The African suffered most, though gladly if it would help topple the caspase regime, The events of the last few days have brought hattere to boiling pubs’ Smith is now ruling by open terror, and only counter—terrorism can overcome this, Without a doubt the hangings in Salisbury have stimulated the Africans into action. They now know that they can count on no British Government, Labour or Tory, Only their own strength can resolve the issue and we will see in the coming months an increase in guerrilla activity
British Labour must welcame this, If the Zimbabwe Africans proclaim a Government in exile the Labour Government should be the first to recognise it. The road would then be open to arm that government so that it can make its power effective, Meanwhile the Government must make it clear that it will make no deals with the hangman Ian Smith.