AIRCRAFT ARRIVING; REPORTERS; BOWDEN AND JONES LEAVE AIRCRAFT; LADY GIBBS; BOWDEN SPEAKING;(SOF)



TRANSCRIPT:



BOWDEN: "ON THIS OCCASION WE'VE GONE RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD, WE'VE DISCUSSED ALMOST EVERY DETAILED POINT, AND ON THE LAST MEETING I HAD WITH HIM WE DECIDED TO LEAVE IT THERE, AS IS SAID BEFORE, BOTH OF US RETURN TO OUR CORNERS TO LOOK AT THE, FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, MASS OF INFORMATION WHICH WE'VE COLLECTED FROM RHODESIANS, HELPFUL ADVICE, MOST OF IT, SOME OF IT NOT, AND TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PROBLEM AFRESH, BUT TO DO THIS VERY QUICKLY. I MENTIONED THE PERIOD OF EIGHT OR NINE DAYS, I THINK THAT IS ABOUT RIGHT, THE DEPARTMENT WILL NEED THAT, AND THEN WE MUST GO TO CABINET, AND THE CABINET WILL TAKE ITS DECISION ON ITS FINAL POSITION.



REPORTER: "MR BOWDEN, CAN I ASK YOU, IS THERE ANY PROSPECT AT ALL OF A SETTLEMENT?"



BOWDEN: "I THINK THERE'S A PROSPECT OF A SETTLEMENT. IT DEPENDS ON MR SMITH TAKING A MAJOR POLITICAL DECISION. IF HE IS PREPARED TO LEAD RHODESIA TOWARDS A SETTLEMENT, THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, HE CAN DO IT. I THINK HE WANTS A SETTLEMENT. WHETHER HE'S PREPARED TO TAKE THIS HURDLE IS A VERY DIFFERENT MATTER.



REPORTER: "IS THERE ANY SIGN AT ALL OF MR SMITH CHANGING HIS POSITION IN ANY WAY?"



BOWDEN: "WELL, ONE SAW WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CONFERENCE OF HIS OWN PARTY, WHERE HE SAID THE END WAS IN SIGHT AND HE WAS VERY HAPPY AND SO ON. I WOULD LIKE TO READ INTO THAT, THAT HE IS PREPARED TO MEET US IN SOME WAY. HE'S MOVED VERY, VERY LITTLE INDEED. THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT AT ALL (SOF ENDS)




Initials GEM/V/MR/MM



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Background: THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY, MR HERBERT BOWDEN RETURNED TO LONDON TODAY (THURSDAY) FROM HIS VISIT TO RHODESIA, AND TOLD AN AIRPORT PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THERE WAS, AS HE PUT IT, A PROSPECT OF A SETTLEMENT OF THE RHODESIAN INDEPENDENCE ISSUE, PROVIDED MR. IAN SMITH TOOK "A MAJOR POLITICAL DECISION."
MR BOWDEN WENT TO SALISBURY WITH BRITAIN'' ATTORNEY GENERAL, SIR ELWYN JONES, TO EXPLAIN TO ALL SECTIONS OF OPINION THERE THE DECISIONS TAKEN AT THE COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE ON PLANS TO DEAL WITH RHODESIA'S ILLEGAL SEIZURE OF INDEPENDENCE.

MR BOWDEN HAD FIVE MEETINGS WITH MR IAN SMITH, THE LEADER OF THE ILLEGAL REGIME. HE RETURNED TO LONDON ABOARD A ROYAL AIR FORCE COMET, BRINGING WITH HIM LADY GIBBS, THE WIFE OF THE GOVERNOR OF RHODESIA, SIR HUMPHREY GIBBS. SHE WILL VISIT HER SON IN ENGLAND.

BEFORE GOING TO DOWNING STREET FOR A CABINET MEETING, MR BOWDEN HAD THIS TO SAY....