Sato To Seek Peace Talks

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30953, 8 January 1966, Page 13

Sato To Seek Peace Talks

(N.Z.P..4. Reuter—Copyright) TOKYO, January 7. The Japanese Prime Minister (Mr Sato) said today Japan would do all it could to secure Communist agreement to Vietnam peace talks.

1 An American spokesman said Mr Sato gave this assurance to President Johnson’s special envoy, Mr Averell Harriman, in a 90-minute talk on American peace efforts. Mr Harriman arrived, in Tokyo last night after talks in Poland, Yugoslavia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and Thailand. The American spokesman quoted Mr Sato as saying Japan would do all it could to secure Communist agreement to peace talks “since the problem depends on whether Hanoi will respond to the

| efforts of the United States " I Mr Sato was said to have expressed his understanding I of American peace efforts and the hope that the United States would continue them. The Japanese Foreign Minister (Mr Shiina) attended today’s meeting. He is due to visit Moscow on January 16 to sign an aviation agreement.

Mr Harriman said on his arrival in Tokyo last night that all the statesmen with whom he had talked on his world mission were urging peace in Vietnam. He is due to leave Tokyo

on Sunday. His next destination has not yet been disclosed.

Meanwhile, a Moscow Radio broadcast to Japan, monitored in Tokyo, has described the American peace drive as "hypocritical.” American negotiations contained nothing constructive. One would be deceived by Washington's trick of using its suspension of bombing over North Vietnam as a tool, the radio said. Peace in Vietnam would be achieved only by observance of the Geneva agreements, it added.