AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30062, 21 February 1963, Page 22

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE

“Bigger Effort Urged By US.”

(N.Z. Press Assn.—COpyripM. SYDNEY, Feb. 19.

The United States was believed to have urged an increased Australian defence effort at talks in Washington last week according to the “Sydney Morning Hera M’s” Canberra ewrespoodeot today. Talks were between the United States Secretary of State (Mir Deen Rusk) and the permanent head of the Australian Department of External Affairs (Sir Arthur Tange). Sir Arthur Tange returned to Canberra today, but refused to discuss hie mission. He said he would report to the External Affaire Minister (Sir Garfield Barwick).

Ttte correspondent said the visit was pert of a continuing series of consultations with powers interested in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The correspondent said this basic concept had been redeployment of the strategic responsibility in South-east Asia and the South and South-west Pacific. He said the United States had been urging this since Mr Rusk visited Canberra last May for a meeting of the AN-Z.US. council.

The correspondent said recent events in South-east Asia made the United States requests for a wider sharing of responsibility more urgent. He said reliable sources told him these events included the Indonesian policy of “confrontation” towards Malaya, and its determined opposition' to the concept of *be Malayasian Federation, the recent uprising in Brunei, and the growing realisation that the anti-Com-munist struggle in Vietnam would be a long, costly venture.

The correspondent said the United States Government

was likely to take advantage of the current visit to Washington of the Australian Navy Minister (Senator John Gorton) for further discussions on Asian problems.