'RISK OF WAR WITH CHINA'

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 15

'RISK OF WAR WITH CHINA'

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

WASHINGTON, March 4.

The United States Defence Secretary, Mr McNamara, said yesterday that he expects “the Communist troop build-up” to reach its height in Vietnam at the end of this year.

“I do not believe that we are facing in Vietnam an unlimited, open-ended commitment to a major land war in Asia,” he said. Mr McNamara told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that by the end of 1966 about 155 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese battalions would be in South Vietnam, a 50 per cent increase on the year. A battalion is usually estimated at 600 men. He added that it would be necessary to counter this with an increase in South Vietnamese, American and other free world forces. MORE TROOPS

Mr McNamara estimated that there would be about 70,000 additional South Vietnamese troops this year, giving a total of 670,000 and more allied forces were expected to be deployed. He declined to give the number of extra United States troops. Mr McNamara also said that the United States had done everything possible to assure China there was no justification for her to get involved in the Vietnam war. But he added that with the history of militant' actions by China “it would be irresponsible for me to say that we run no risk of war with Ch’na

arising from our efforts to defend South Vietnam from aggression.” Mr McNamara made his brief statement to a hearing of the committee before facing questions at a closed session from senators critical of the Administration’s policy in Vietnam.