No Plans For More Troops To Vietnam

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31096, 27 June 1966, Page 1

No Plans For More Troops To Vietnam

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) CANBERRA, June 26. New Zealand had no immediate plans to reduce her forces in Malaysia; nor did she plan to increase her military commitments to South Vietnam immediately, said the Prime Minister, (Mr Holyoake).

Mr Holyoake, who arrived in Canberra late last night to attend next week’s S.E.A.T.O. Council meeting in his role as Minister of External Affairs, told an airport press conference that New Zealand’s military commitment to Malaysia had not increased for some time.

“Even before confrontation began we had about the same number of men in Malaysia we have now,” he said. Mr Holyoake said New Zealand had no present plans to increase its military aid to South Vietnam.

“We are expanding our economic aid to South Vietnam mainly in the field of medicine,” he said.

He told a questioner that South Vietnam had not requested more military assistance from New Zealand. Mr Holyoake said he hoped to have private talks with the British Foreign Secretary (Mr Stewart) and the American Secretary of State (Mr Rusk) while in Canberra. Mr Holyoake was met at the

airport by the Australian Minister for External Affairs (Mr Hasluck). During a brief stop at Sydney airport earlier, Mr Holyoake said that because of Britain’s east of Suez policy it was obvious that New Zealand and Australia would have to involve themselves more directly in the defence of South-east Asia. Referring to trade relations between Britain and New Zealand, Mr Holyoake said that the British seamen’s strike was “getting close to disrupt-

ing trade between the two countries.” He said New Zealand was the biggest shipper of meat and dairy products in the world, and it was obvious that the British seamen’s strike was of major importance to New Zealand. On Vietnam He said his discussions with the Australian Prime Minister (Mr Holt) would be mainly on Vietnam. However, he said he would be discussing with Mr Holt the whole gambit of Commonwealth affairs. Also in the welcoming party for Mr Holyoake were Mr J. L. Hazlett, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia, Sir Stephen Weir, New Zealand Ambassador to Thailand and S.E.A.T.O. representative, Sir John Bunting, secretary of the Australian Prime Minister’s Department, and Sir James Plimsoll, the Australian Secretary of External Affairs.

Mr Holyoake was accompanied by Mrs Holyoake, Mr I. L. G. Stewart, head of theDefence Division of the External Affairs Department, and the Prime Minister’s private secretary. Mr H. Wells. The Prime Ministers agreed at talks today that a continuing British presence was vital in South-east Asia. This was noted in a statement issued by the press secretary for Mr Holt after the talks. The statement said Mr Holt and Mr Holyoake agreed that British presence was “important not only in terms of its defence significances,, but in terms of the advantages which it will have for longterm world stability and for Britain’s own world role.”

It was their first meeting as Prime Ministers of the two countries. Most of their discussion was in the defence and foreign policy field. Council Talks “They went over some of the matters which will be engaging the S.E.A.T.O. council during the week, but concentrated rather more on a joint consideration of the developments and the outlook in South-east Asia as viewed from Australia and New Zealand. “Vietnam and Indonesia were included in this survey,” the statement said. The Prime Ministers discussed not only joint militap' operations In which Australia and New Zealand are engaged, but also the economic advancement of the area. “Britain’s defence position in South-east Asia came into the discussion,” the statement said. “There was agreement by the Prime Ministers that a firm, continuing British presence is important, not only in terms of its defence significance, but in terms of the advantages which it will have for long-term world stability and Britain’s own world role,” the statement said.

Messrs Holt and Holyoake also discussed Commonwealth affairs in the light of the Prime Ministers’ conference expected later this year. Trade Pact “Brief discussions occurred also in the context of the increasingly close trade relations developing out of the New Zealand-Australia Free Trade Agreement.” The Prime Ministers also covered the current economic situation in their countries. Defence and foreign policy, particularly in relation to South-east Asia, was the focal point of the talks, according to Mr Holyoake. Mr Holyoake said that subjects to be debated during the S.E.A.T.O. council meeting which will open tomorrow were touched upon. The talks dealt with recent and possible future developments in South-east Asia as seen from New Zealand and Australia. Mr Holyoake said the joint military operations in which Australia and New Zealand were engaged in South-east Asia were discussed, but the economic advancement of the area was recognised as being of first importance to the future stability and peace of the area. British Bases Mr Holyoake said the possibility of Britain setting up military bases in Australia, when, and if, it withdrew from Singapore, had figured in the discussion on Britain's defence position in South-east Asia.

But he said he could give no indication of how New Zealand could be involved in such a move. “At present it has gone no further than a survey of the physical facts of the situation,” he said. Mr Holyoake said the situation in the Commonwealth had been discussed, particularly in the light of the forthcoming Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ meeting, which is likely to be held in September.

Mr Holyoake said that he did not regard today’s meeting as signifying the start of a closer accord between New Zealand and Australia. “This is not a start,” he said. “We have had close relations for a long time, and our relations are very good.” He said no consideration had been given to reviving the Canberra Pact of 1944. He said he and Mr Holt had not arranged a further meeting, but that he had invited the Australian Prime Minister to visit New Zealand, after the elections in both countries at the end of the year. On his arrival in Canberra on Saturday night, Mr Holy-j oake said that he thought) there was “considerable scope! for a very big increase in] trade between our two countries.”