76-13-A3

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Rhodesia

Transcript Other governments, friendly and unfriendly, maintain information offices in Washington, D.C. to try to see that news advantageous to them will be disseminated through our news outlets. One of these is the Rhodesian Information Office. It is duly registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1935 administered by the Department of Justice. Such an office allows us a viewing window on this faraway country, which otherwise would remain pretty unknown to us. Its size doesn't warrant the maintaining of American news bureaus there. Under that 1935 act, these foreign information offices are subject to a periodic audit -- a checkup to see that the information it hands out meets certain requirements as to reliability, and so forth. Usually these audits are pretty routine and carried out in a friendly, courteous manner. After all, aren't we the world's leading exponent of free speech? But, several weeks ago three United States agents walked into the Rhodesian Information center unannounced, and began a minute inspection which was headlined by one paper as a full-fledged investigation of the "Rhodesian Lobby." By coincidence, this surprise visit followed right on the heels of a discussion in the United Nations Security Council (chaired by our Ambassador, Andrew Young) of a British resolution to close down the Rhodesian office. It seems that under an informal arrangement, we have (for some years now) made American dollars available in return for Rhodesian money which American missionaries and business men need for doing business in Rhodesia. The United Nations resolution is aimed at halting that exchange which would leave the Rhodesian office out on a limb, indeed out of business. The only objection has come from, of all people, the Russians, but only because they want a tougher resolution which would include cutting telephone and cable communication with Rhodesia. Come to think of it, that figures with what they probably have in mind a curtain of silence to screen a bloody takeover by Russian-supplied guerillas. But forget the Rhodesians for a moment and think of what this resolution, when passed, would mean to all of us. The United Nations -- that tower of Babel stained with hypocrisy would be making law for the United States without any action by our own Congress. That is a surrender of sovereignty we should never permit. Then, of course, we should ask ourselves if we are ready to also abandon our principle of freedom of information; our right to have access to news from Rhodesia or, any and all other countries of the world. One wonders why we haven't heard from the American Civil Liberties Union about that. But to get back to the Rhodesians themselves -- we've already imposed trade restrictions on them and the question is why? It's true, they do not grant majority rule, but it's also true they are proceeding to do so in exact conformity with the plan proposed by our former Secretary of State. That plan called for a two year transition period leading to a peaceful transfer of authority as voted by the people themselves. The Rhodesian government agreed to do this. The United States, Britain and the black nationalist leaders of several factions also agreed. Then the pro-Marxist nationalist leaders reneged and demanded an innnediate take-over without regard to the wishes of the majority. The position of Great Britain and our own government, in the face of this, has been somewhat less than noble as is the United Nation's resolution. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.		Details Batch Number 76-13-A3 Production Date 05/04/1977 Book/Page RPtV-152 Audio Youtube? No
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