Mr Sandys Arrives For Defence Talks

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28370, 31 August 1957, Page 12

Mr Sandys Arrives For Defence Talks

“In our planning for tbe defence of what we call the Far East and what you call the Near North . we have deliberately not taken firm decisions about the disposition and strength of our forces in those I areas until after I have had the opportunity of talking things over with the Australian and New Zealand I Governments,” >said the United Kingdom’s Minister of Defence (Mr Duncan Sandys* at a press conference after his arrival in Christchurch from Australia | yesterday afternoon.

Mr Sandys said he would go from. New Zealand Io Singapore and Houg Kong to get the views of the governors sod the service commands. He was looking forward when he reached Wellington, be said, to the continuation of defence talks which were begun when the-New Zealand Minister of External Affairs (Mr T. L. Macdonald) attended the Common wealth Prime Minister’s conference.

"We are all pail of the British family, and we don't have to have any tremendous problems, in order to justify one visiting one another,” Mr Sandys said. "I think it is tremendously important that everybody, as’far as possible, should keep up personal contacts. More especially, I think, it is important that people who hold positions of responsibility in our two countries should get to know each other as individuals.

i “That is why I welcome very I much this opportunity of renewing personal contacts here in New Zealand and to have a good talk with the New Zealand Govern(ment. I am Looking forward to meeting the Cabinet in Wellington on Tuesday, and see how our (plans fit in with one another's.

“Decisions will be made in the next few months after I get back to England. We shall take very full account of. the views which are expressed to me by the Australian and New Zealand Governments.” New Zealanders' Morale Britain was very glad indeed Io have New Zealanders serving alongside her troops in Malaya in the Commonwealth Strategic Brigade, because, in two world wars the people of Britain had learned to respect and admire the splendid fighting qualities of the New Zealand forces. “I don’t believe there are any troops in the whole world who have a higher morale than New Zealanders.” said the Minister. Mr Sandys was asked whether the Russian claims of the success of a ballistic missile with a warhead. surprised him in view of his prediction in February thai the Russian missiles would rise to more than 100 miles and have a speed of more than 5000 miles an hour.

“ I don't, think* that I referred to the Russians.” he replied. "Anything I have 'to say about technical or defence matters should wail. 1 think, until 1 have had the talks I am going to have with the New Zealand Government/’

I Discussing the broad question of defence. Mr Sandys said the new (defence policy which he had in-

tioduced a few months ago was based on the simple principle that, with the fearful nature of modern weapons, Britain, had to concentrate its efforts not on preparing to fight a war but on preventing war from ever happening. “With the great range and power of modern weapons, no country can defend itself in isolation.” he said. e That is why there has been built up, during tbe last few years, a chain of alliances designed* to provide collective defence in the most critical areas of the world N.X.T.O. in Europe, the Bagdad Pact in the Middle East, and S.E.A.T.O. in the South-east Asia area.

“Alone of all countries. Britain contributed forces to all these 1 three alliances, hi addition, we' are making an independent British contribution to the nuclear deterrent. much smaller, of course, than that by the United States, but. none the less, by no means negligible.”