WREATH-LAYING BY MR KISHI

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28447, 29 November 1957, Page 15

WREATH-LAYING BY MR KISHI

Plans Defended By Mr Menzies CANBERRA, November 28. The Australian Prime Minister, Mr Menzies, appealed in the House of Representatives today for good relations during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Kishi. Mr Menzies was defending plans for Mr Kishi to lay wreaths ort the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. He was replying to a Labour questioner. Mr Jim Fraser, who had asked whether Mr Kishi would lay a wreath on the memorial at his own request and whether this indicated a national repentance by his country. Mr Fraser asked: “Can any wreath laid by Mr Kishi be considered to honour thousands of Australian men and women who were butchered or murdered by Japanese, and who starved to death in prison camps?” Mr Menzies replied: “If the Government thought the same way as Mr Fraser does we would not have invited Mr Kishi to visit the country at all. and still less would have invited him and gone out of our way to cause him personal affront.

“The Government and the great majority of the people have realised that w«» must live in the wnHd with Japan. “Tn our relations with other countries we must have understanding and friendship.” Mr Menzies said that it had long been the practice at official ceremonies for representatives of the Commonwealth countries to lay a wreath on the Stone of Remembrance. But if the Prime Minister of some other country chooses to lay a wreath he would be doing exactly what many Australians have done in other countries, including enemy countries.