ASIAN DEFENCE SURVEY

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27576, 5 February 1955, Page 7

ASIAN DEFENCE SURVEY

Discussion By Prime

Ministers

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, February 4. The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, FieldMarshal Sir John Harding, gave an up-to-date and comprehensive survey of the defence situation in Southeast Asia, including an appraisal of the fighting strength of the eight partners in 5.E.A.T.0., to the conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers, yesterday. The meeting, at which the Prime Ministers of Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan, had with them the British chiefs of staff and Commonwealth military experts, was largely concerned with estimating the resources, both economic and military, which could be assigned to the defence and development of the area. The defence discussions are described in London as an essential preliminary to the meeting later this month of all the signatories to the Manila Treaty, at Bangkok.

It is understood that the meeting surveyed in detail the defence situation in the area bounded by Indo-China in the north, Indonesia in the south, Siam in the west and the Philippines in the east. Sir John Harding’s review included a general statement on the defence of Singapore and Malaya and on the progress of the present campaign against Malayan Communist terrorists. This initiated a discussion of British, Australian and New Zealand service liaison activities over Malayan defence through A.N.Z.A.M. There was also an exchange of views on the ultimate part this liaison system could play in the general defence of the area. ■"'The organisation proposed for defence in Malaya naturally affects the organisation to be set up under the South-east Asia Treaty, the scope of which includes this area,” says “The Times.”

QUEEN MEETS MR HOLLAND

LONDON, Feb. 3. The Queen gave an audience to Mr Holland, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, at Buckingham Palace today. • Mr Holland drove to the Grand Entrance in the Palace quadrangle, where he was received by members of the Household, who conducted him to the audience chamber on the ground floor overlooking the Palace gardens.