ALLIANCE FOR ASIA

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27404, 17 July 1954, Page 7

ALLIANCE FOR ASIA

Plan Given New Impetus (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. IX3O a.m.) • WASHINGTON, June 16. The Anzus Powers and Britain today drove ahead anew with plans for a South-east Asian defence organisation, on the basis of the cordial three-Power discussions in. Paris on Indo-China. Mr John Foster Dulles the Secretarv of State, appeared well-pleased on his return to Washington with the results of his talks with British and French leaders about a common policy in negotiations for an Indo-China ceasefire. Mr Dulles lost no time in making arrangements to inform America’s Anzus partners—Australia and New Zealand—of results of the Paris talks. With France’s reported assurance that there would be no “sell out’’ in Indo-China, the United States and its allies pushed ahead with military aspects of the projected S.E.A.T.O. pact. A Reuter correspondent said it had been learned authoritatively that this side of the talks had been marking time to some extent pending the outcome of the Geneva negotiations on Indo-China.

The United States ajtd its allies had felt it was useless to formulate military strategy for South-east Asia when it was not known how much —if any —of Indo-China would be left to encompass in the pact after Geneva. The prospects of France reaching an agreement with the Communists on equitable terms were now considered good. Mr Dulles was reported to have a shrewd idea, after his talks with France’s Prime Minister, Mr Pierre Mendes-France, and Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Mr Anthony Eden, just where the line of demarcation would be in the case of a cease-fire. Guarantee of Backing If France held to the position outlined to Mr Dulles by Mr MendesFrance, the United States would guarantee this received the whole-hearted backing* of Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand, informed sources said. These sources said that in return for the United States concessions to Britain and France in re-entering the Geneva Conference at a Ministerial level, the United States would expect in return: Britain and France to give the Communists warning, in the terms of the S.E.A.T.O. Pact, that further attempts at aggressive expansion would bring dire results. Britain would agree to the United States broadening the scope of the current S.E.A.T.O. talks in Washington to a multilateral basis, which could lead to participation by Asian nations. Hitherto, Britain had set her face against a definitive course towards this objective until the results of the Geneva negotiations were known. It was understood that if the IndoChina States of Laos and Cambodia declined to sign the terms of the South-east Asia Pact, the security system would still guarantee their borders against Communist attack. Today, for the first time, sources close to the Anzus and British experts drafting the plans for the S.E.A.T.O. organisation began.to speculate about the date when the pact would be ready for sir ature. No estimates were shorter than two weeks. The United States Congress is due to recess at the end of July. It was reported that if the pact was ready jfor ratification during the recess, Congress would be called into session, as President Eisenhower felt that no delay in the matter could be brooked. It was learned Australia and New Zealand were emphatic in their belief that the projected S.E.A.T.O. organisation must offer Asian members attractive economic terms if it was to he effective in the “cold war” against communism. The Australian and New Zealand attitude was that while the treaty must have “teeth” in the form of armed sanctions to deter aggression, happy and well-fed people would hold aloof from the seductive promises of international communism. The “Washington Post” today said only a South-east Asian defence pact “with teeth in it” could block Communist expansion in the area. A Locarno-type non-aggression pact with the Communists, which was suggested by Mr Eden, would not provide real protection, the newspaper said, in a leading article.