USE OF PACIFIC BASES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23916, 7 April 1943, Page 2

USE OF PACIFIC BASES

* NEW ZEALAND AND UNITED STATES MR NASH EXPLAINS AN INTERVIEW (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 6. New Zealand has not been committed by any statement by the Hon. W. Nash in America to the granting for permanent use of any of our bases to the United States or any other Power. Mr Nash, interviewed to-day. made this clccir. He said that the subject had been opened in a question by a noted Ameri. can correspondent in an interview in which a number of questions allied to the subject had been asked, The meaning of his statements, Mr Nash emphasised, depended on an understanding of the questions asked and the wording of his replies. The first question asked had been: “Do you think New Zealand would be willing to enter into an agreement for the use of bases for a permanent, mutual defensive system?” To this his reply had been: “Yes, on a mutual basis,”.

Other questions, all couched in somewhat similar terms, had been asked, and he had replied that he thought New Zealand would be agreeable to the use jby the United States of any bases, that-New Zealand might have for permanent, mutual defensive purposes, This would depend entirely upon an agreement which would ensure that New Zealand would have the use of any bases that were under the control of the United States.

Another question had concerned New Zealand’s willingness to enter an agreement with any other nation. To this he had replied that New Zealand would be willing to discuss the matter at any time with any of the United Nations in an endeavour to prevent such happenings ?s that of September, 1939, or December, 1941, This discussion would have to be on a United Nations basis. He had named the nations he had meant by that. They were China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands. the United Stales, Canada. Australia, and New Zealand.