DEFENCE PACT FOR ASIA

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27427, 13 August 1954, Page 11

DEFENCE PACT FOR ASIA

Conference May Be Held Next Month (N - z - Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 11. Pakistan would join Australia, New Zealand, and Britain as Commonwealth members at the conference on a South-east Asian security alliance against Comtodays 688100 ’ eUter 8 diplomatic correspondent Joint announcements arc expected on Saturday in CanMher 1, h1?J3-esert aCh |’ Washln^on ’ London, and the capitals of other interested nations on a pact conference in Baguio _4he summer capital of the Philippines—on September 6 France, Siam, and the Philippines are the other nations which have announced their intention to attend the conference. American sources said that the United States was very grateful to its Anzus friends—Australia and New Zealand—for th ' C L lng u hey L ad offe . red in the stages of the S.E.A.T.O. talks tv hen other nations had wavered and appeared nnenthusiastic.

Anzus Council meeting at the State Department on Tuesday—attended by Sir Percy Spender, the Australian Ambassador, Mr L. K. Munro, the New Zealand Ambassador, and Mr Walter Bedell Smith, the Under-Secre-tary of State—reviewed the groundwork which had-been laid in Washington for the pact. Informed sources said that the Anzus representatives probably would hold further meetings from time to time until the opening of the talks at Baguio. But these were expected to be nothing more than consultative meetings. aimed at keeping the three nations up to date on individual thinking on world developments and to exchange views on political trends in South-east Asia.