U.S. Confirms Report On Relay Station Site

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30534, 1 September 1964, Page 23

U.S. Confirms Report On Relay Station Site

(N Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, August 31. The United States State Department has confirmed that the United States and Britain are discussing the possible establishment of a United States military radio-communications relay station on an Indian Ocean island.

A spokesman would not comment on a report that the two countries were considering several islands as potential air and sea bases for staging areas for the flying of troops to trouble spots in Asia.

“Communications studies by the United States have shown that a relay station in the Indian Ocean area would provide improved circuitry between the Near East, Southeast Asia and the Far East,” the spokesman said. He said that further discussion between the two nations would be held after a survey of possible island sites. In London, “The Observer” said discussions between Britain and the United States about the building of joint bases in the Indian Ocean were reported to have come down to details.

The paper’s Washington correspondent said that the bases would enable both powers to be on the scene quickly in the event of crises like the one in Zanzibar last year, provide stepping stones for reinforcing British commitments to defend Malaysia and East Africa, and fill what American planners regarded

as a dangerous gap between their Seventh Fleet in the South China Sea and Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. “Strategic Lack” Americans felt the lack of any strategic presence at the time of the 1962 Chinese attacks on the Indian border. They could see other situations around the perimeter of the Indian Ocean where their presence might be required. Feelers they had put out about stationing naval forces in India. African countries and others with Indian Ocean coasts had not produced a happy response, the newspaper said. Secret talks about the chance of filling the gap with American installations on uninhabited or sparsely populated British islands had been in progress for some months. “The Observer” defence correspondent said Whitehall officials were unable to confirm reports that formulae for sovereignty and administrative responsibility for joint Anglo-American bases had been discussed. One reported suggestion was that Britain would retain sovereignty while agreeing to American military use. Another was for fully bilateral

sovereignty and co-operation. It was known, however, that t hh eaerdenbe cmfwpy cmf there had been discussions with the Seychelles and Mauritius Governments about the Anglo-American survey. The “Sunday Express” diplomatic correspondent said that a senior Government official in London had commented on the report: “The main idea is to arrange a string of naval and air communications bases. “It is not intended to quarter large numbers of troops there, although the bases will be invaluable as stepping stones when troops are being taken by air or sea to tackle emergency situations in Asia.”