AUSTRALIAN AIMS IN KOREA

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26396, 14 April 1951, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN AIMS IN KOREA

“AGAINST EXTENSION

OF WAR”

(Rec. 7 p.m.) CANBERRA, April 13. Commenting on the displacement of General MacArthur and supplementing an earlier statement on the attitude of the Australian Government towards Korea, the Minister of External Affairs (Mr P. C. Spender) said: “The Australian Government has consistently pursued three main objectives in Korea, namely, to resist aggression, to limit the area of hostilities to Korea I itself, and to pursue every possible means of securing a peaceful settlement. “In endeavouring to limit the area of hostilities, the Australian Government has taken immediate and frequent diplomatic action to counter any proposals, whether made officially by Governments, or unofficially by important spokesmen, including the United States Command, which contemplated the spreading of the area of conflict beyond Korea. “The Australian Government has been throughout in the closest touch with the United Kingdom and the United States and. on a number of occasions, it has indicated in the clearest terms that it was opposed to proposals or suggestions which could possibly bring about hostilities outside Korea. “It is a long-standing British and Australian tradition that commanders in the field must carry out the policy laid down for them by the civilian administration I feel bound to add that the Australian Government and people will never forget the outstanding work of General MacArthur as a soldier, particularly during the war vesrs.* 1 Mr Spender added that Australia had made constant efforts to secure h peaceful settlement in the Far East as the British Foreign Secretary (Mr Herbert Morrison) had only recently remarked. - “However, it takes two parties to reach an agreement,” he said. “Although the Good Offices Committee established by the United Nations to carry out peaceful negotiations with Peioing has been trying for weeks without success to secure from Peiping some signs of interest in beginning peaceful negotiations, these efforts must be continued.” i