MILITARY HELP Menzies Not Encouraged

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30610, 28 November 1964, Page 15

MILITARY HELP Menzies Not Encouraged

(N .Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) ADELAIDE, November 27

Indonesia’s attitude was not one to encourage Australia continuing the practice of giving Indonesians military training, the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, said vesterday.

Sir Robert Menzies was speaking at a senate election meeting at Adelaide Town Hall.

In reply to a question, he said some Indonesians had received military training in Australia, but the last of them had left.

Australia had reciprocal agreements with Asian countries, and a variety of people such as Burmese and Thais were undergoing courses of instruction here. Sir Robert Menzies said.

The national newspaper the “Australian.” said today Australia was building a £1,100.000 air communications network across Indonesia as a gift under the Colombo Plan.

The network, consisting of nine radio telephone links was intended to improve air safety for domestic and international airlines. But some Australian defence experts were uneasy, the “Australian” said.

They claimed that the installations could be easily converted to military use, and that the scheme could be construed as a contradiction of the Government’s decision this week to end reciprocal army officer training with Indonesia.

“This telecommunications network will be a godsend to the Indonesian aviation authorities,” one expert commented.

“It would also be a gift from heaven for (President) Sukarno should the present situation deteriorate much further.

“I'm amazed at our Government persisting with the scheme with such military overtones in this time of crisis.”

A Defence Department spokesman said today that work on the project began in

1961 and was due to be completed in 1967. The project would equip the nine airports with modern ground-to-air and ground-to-ground radio services for civil aircraft.

The spokesman said the military implications of the project had been carefully examined both before the commitment was accepted and since. Defence Department experts had told the Government there was no valid reason to stop the work. The equipment being installed lacked the versatility necessary for top-level military purposes.