No Change In U.S. Policy In Far East

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29246, 2 July 1960, Page 13

No Change In U.S. Policy In Far East

(Rec. 8 p.m.) 5 WASHINGTON, July 1. United States political and military strategy in the Far East would continue to be hinged on a free and friendly Japan, diplomatic sources said in Washington today, according to. Reuter’s chief correspondent.

The United States does not see any need drastically to revise its Far Eastern strategy because of the demonstrations against the new security treaty with Japan and the imminent fall of the Kishi Government It is the view of Administration officiate, that Japan will continue to be governed by a regime friendly to the United States and that no attempt will be made to repudiate the security treaty. But strategists are not exactly blind to the possibility of a growing fear in Japan' that the treaty granting bases to the United States for 10 years could involve Japan in war. The emergence of a neutral Japan would be a severe blow for the United States Pacific policy, but no-one seriously thinks that such a situation will arise. There was no evidence, according to informed diplomats, that a new strategic plan for the Pacific was being mapped out by the United States. These diplomats said they had not heard of any move to set up new bases in the area to offset any possible loss of bases' in Japan. Diplomats said that it would be wrong to expect any change in United States Far Eastern defence policy at this time. They added that any far-reaching review would only be undertaken if there were signs of a real Japanese disenchantment with the Western alliance. That, they added, was not discernible.

President Eisenhower’s recent visit to many of the main links in the northern Pacific defence arc was thought by Administration officials to have given new life to United States ties with friendly Asian countries. There is confidence that the establishment of the regional alliances, such as the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation and the A.N.Z.UJS. Pact of the United States, Australia and New Zealand. have played a big part in withstanding Communist tncur-

sions in the area and that they will continue to do so. President Eisenhower was given a first-hand demonstration of "aited States naval power when he sailed from Manila to Taipeh aboard the cruiser St. Paul, flagship of the Seventh Fleet, which guards the Formosa Strait The President also saw other evidences of the wide-ranging character -of the Pacific defence system by his visit to Anchorage, Alaska, by calling at Wake Island for refuelling on a teouple of occasions and then by staying at Honolulu, the fleet’s - main midPacific base. The aim of United States Far Eastern policy remains to. contain Communist China and to bolster the friendly nations bordering the Pacific who have granted bases for common defence. Diplomats said that-if-there were an outbreak of war in South-east Asia, then', naturally, the full resources of all the treaty partners would be Offered-to United States forces. Whoever forms , the next Administration in January in place of President Eisenhower is not likely ‘o change the defence setup in the Pacific. Both the Democratic and the Republican Parties view Communist China as the main opponent in the area and want to give the Allied countries every assurance of support against Communist aggression