a situation similar to Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence. There is, however, only a very limited possibility of
bringing about this situation. For, whereas in Rhodesia the white
settlers could count on support from England when they declared
independence, and possessed all the material  means (including
military) to establish their independence, the settlers in
Mozambique find themselves in a very different position. Portugal
(unlike England) needs the colonies for her own survival. The
very existence of Portugal in its present phase, depends on the
colonies. Therefore Portugal will oppose any action from any
quarter which would result in her losing the revenue provided by
the colonies. Thus the Portuguese Government would actually use
her vaste army to oppose any movement for independence among the
white settlers.
The existence of the national liberation struggle is another
factor which acts against this tendency of the settlers. Even
though, let us suppose, they obtained independence, they would be
deprived of the military means of repression which Portugal provides.
They would then, be forced to appeal, for example, to South
Africa, who would send her troops in to occupy Mozambique. A bond
of dependence would then be established between this regime and
South Africa. The situation then pertaining would to all intents
and purposes be the same - independence in relation to Portugal,
but dependence in relation to South Africa. The settlers in Mozambique know this. That is why they do nothing to make anything
concrete coma out of this tendency: it remains a matter of vague
aspirations.
c) A third body of opinion is for a neo-colonialist position,
in which Portugal would grant independence to Mozambique, using
a group of African puppet leaders, manipulated by the Lisbon
authorities. The representatives of this movement are in Lisbon
and constitute the so-called "legal opposition" to the Salazar
regime. Their leader is a Portuguese politician called CUNHA
LEAL. But the neo-colonialist solution presupposes that the colonial power is sufficiently developed industrially to be able to
make use of the raw materials which the neo-colony would provide
her with. As Portugal is one of the most backward countries in
Europe she needs, in order to exploit a territory, to have at
the same time political and economic control. This is why the
neo-colonialist tendency is also inaplicable.