Military Talks On Limiting Asian Communist Drive

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27395, 7 July 1954, Page 12

Military Talks On Limiting Asian Communist Drive

(NJZ. Press (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) • SINGAPORE, July t>. Army, Navy, and Air Force officers from Britain, the United States, France, and Australia met here today to discuss in a top-secret atmosphere details of defence against Communist expansion in South-east Asia. The talks, which are expected to last at least a week, are a continuation of the Five-Power military staff talks started in Honolulu early last year.

There has been no official statement by the office of the talks chairman, the British Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia (Mr Malcolm MacDonald) other than that the talks are “routine” and are not in any way connected with the Geneva conference discussions on an Indo-China cease fire.

Nearly 100 officers of the three services of each country are taking part. Reuters learned from official

sources that the talks, though not binding on the participants, are concerned with details of the South-east Asian military situation and an assessment of how contributions from each country could best be used in the event of collective action. The talks are essentially to prepare “blueprints” of possible military situations which could arise. The military officers, from colonels down to lieutenants, are mostly from intelligence and operations sections. Basis for Asian Pact

The meeting will hear reports of progress since the last meeting in Saigon in December and will study new considerations brought up by the changed military situation. The recommendations and tentative plans of the meeting are to be the basis on which the chiefs of staff of Britain, France, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand will reopen their next discussions on the possible formation of a South-east Asian Treaty Organisation. Plans are to be - made for Allied participation in the event of certain situations such as, for instance, a Communist attack on Hong Kong, or a Communist Vietminh thrust across the Mekong river, the border of IndoChina and Siam. Reuters learned from authoritative sources that such plans are to be considered eventually for ratification by the Powers concerned. Ratification would mean that commanders in the field would be permitted to act automatically on such plans in the event of the situation arising. They -would not have to get authorisation from their governments before initiating military actions.