The possibility of a settlement between Rhodesia and Britain grew dimmer Friday as British Commonwealth Secretary George Thomson reported that the two have more differences now than ever before. That pessimistic note came from Thomson at a news conference before he left for London to report to Prime Minister Harold Wilson about his 10 hours of talks with Prime Minister Ian D. Smith of Rhodesia. Thomson's words pricked the ballooning hopes here that the two-year-old sanctions war against Rhodesia would end soon. Britain and the United Nations imposed trade restrictions on Rhodesia after the ruling white minority of the colony declared its independence in defiance of Britain. Hopes had been raised here on rather slight and ephemeral evidence. Some residents, for example, read significance into a remark of Smith that Thomson "seems to be a pretty decent sort of a Scotsman." But, though he told newsmen "I'm hopeful," Thomson made it clear that a settlement would have to be based on more than amiability...

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