President Offers Only Sympathy

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29853, 20 June 1962, Page 15

President Offers Only Sympathy

(N .Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, June 19. President Kennedy has expressed sympathy for Australia’s concern over the Common Market problem, but has made “no specific promises” in his talks with" the Australian Prime Minister (Mr Menzies), American officials said today.

Mr Menzies, who conferred with the President for 75 minutes yesterday in what was described by both sides as ‘‘a very cordial discussion,” will see Mr Kennedy again tomorrow before he leaves Washington on his wayhome.

One State Department official said that the two leaders “got along famously.” Diplomatic observers commented, however, that it seemed apparent that the consultations Mr Menzies held both at the White House and at the State Department had not entered any bargaining stage.

Mr Menzies himself told reporters that a joint communique—originally due to have been issued yesterday and not expected now to be released until after his final meeting with the President—would not be a statement in detail, but a statement of broad principles. In addiion to his opening conference with President Kennedy. Mr Menzies saw the Secretary of State (Mr Rusk) and the Under-Secre-tary of State (Mr Ball). He also held a separate meeting with the Secretary of Defence (Mr McNamara).

Officials reported that Mr Menzies had sought support for permanent arrangements to be made with the Common Market for the temperatezone agricultural produce of Commonwealth countries, and had declared that they were necessary to protect the Australian economy. But, American sources said, the Prime Minister had not pressed his case as hard as they had expected. They commented that this might have been due in part to the success Mr Menzies felt he had achieved during his recent consultations in London, and also to the American opposition Australia had encountered in the past on the question of Commonwealth preferences.

State Department sources said they felt that Mr Menzies was not engaged on "a sort of probing mission’’ to see what points might be found that could be exploited in later talks at the technical level. One thing seemed certain.

they said, and that was that the Prime Minister was “not trying for any spectacular agreement.” In general, the talks seemed to be laying ouit areas of discussion and items to be considered later ait the working level. Officials said there had been mention of some commodities in which Australia felt its trade could be damaged by British entry into the Common Market. However, it was said, the discussions had not reached the point of mentioning specific values or quantities of the commodities for which special arrangements might Ke made.