U.S. and N.Z.

Press, 12 February 1986, Page 20

U.S. and N.Z.

“We are here because we care,” said Senator Carl Levin, one of the three American senators who have been visiting New Zealand. What Senator Levin, and Senators David Pryor and David Boren care about is a break-down in the relationship between New Zealand and the United States over the nuclear ships issue. The three senators: dissociated themselves from comments made by the American Ambassador to Australia, Mr William Lane. Mr Lane had said that New Zealand was being “punished for being a bad boy” and that New Zealand had broken its compact under A.N.Z.U.S. The three senators realised that it did nothing to help relations between New Zealand and the United States to have New Zealand referred to as a “bad boy.” Their dissociation preceded a statement from the State Department, which is also critical of the Ambassador’s view that New Zealand was: being punished. This newspaper has argued strongly against the decision of the Labou:.- ; Government to exclude United States ships that may be nuclear-armed from New Zealand ports. It is clear that many people in New Zealand favour the move and the reason is largely because they see it as a moral stand against nuclear arms escalation. That being the widespread feeling in New Zealand, however mistaken it may be in its consequences, Mr Lane was clearly out of line both in reading the attitude in New Zealand and in interpreting the response from the United States Government. The three senators, all Democrats, are clearly of a different ilk. It would be unwise, however, to believe that the views that they have put forward represent a widespread opinion in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. They represent a minority party in the Senate and almost certainly a minority opinion within that party. The Democrats do not have, as a New Zealand political party would have, an over-all policy towards such an issue. American politics is too amorphous for that, and varying opinions run through political parties. The three senators, in fact, are not doing anything other than expressing their own opinions. It may be expected that the conservative attitudes of the whole Administration are likely to continue to dominate in attitudes towards New Zealand; but it is refreshing that the State Department wants it to be known that the official attitude is not to punish New Zealand. However few in the current American

Administration and in the Congress share the views of the three senators, some appreciation that New Zealand and the United States have long been friends and should make considerable effort to remain friends is certainly needed. Both the American Administration and the New Zealand Government should ensure that this happens. It is true that the United States “readjustments” have been mostly to defence co-operation, but some odd things have happened. New Zealanders will no longer, for instance, be able to attend the United States Staff Army College at Leavenworth, Kansas. Yet countries that are sending servicemen there are by no means all bound to the United States through an important formal treaty. Some of the Arab countries send servicemen there. Yugoslavia sends servicemen there. Yet New Zealand is now formally excluded. If such actions continue, it , will be difficult for;: the. United States to be able to . rebuke its . ambassadors for saying New'* T Zealdrid is being punished. The punishment will be apparent to all. Whether it was intended as punishment or not, some damage has been inflicted on the New Zealand Armed Forces by the various actions taken by the United States. The over-all impact of the loss of exchanges of servicemen, of the combined military exercises, and the curtailment of Intelligence makes it all the harder for the New Zealand Armed Forces to maintain professionalism. It is important that this is maintained, not because of any imminent threat, but because any modern State needs at least a technically competent military force with a thoroughly professional attitude to its role. The three senators are right in saying that relations between the United States and New Zealand should not be allowed to break down. In New Zealand there is an attitude that the United States only wants the relationship on its terms, and in the United States Administration there is an attitude that New Zealand only wants the relationship on New Zealand’s terms. Even three men as well disposed towards New Zealand as the senators see some difficulties in the present New Zealand Government’s approach to the American neither-confirm-nor-deny policy. Both the New Zealand Government and the United States Government have constraints. They will have to recognise one another’s constraints if the A.N.Z.U.S. mess is to be tidied.