MISSION URGES RESTRAINT

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30782, 21 June 1965, Page 13

MISSION URGES RESTRAINT

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

LONDON, June 20.

The Commonwealth peace mission last night appealed to the warring factions in Vietnam for “the utmost restraint in military operations” as a step towards an early cease-fire.

The appeal came in a statement from the British Prime Minister’s official country residence, Chequers, from the four members of the mission —Mr Harold Wilson, President Kwame Nkrumah, of Ghana, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Prime Minister of Nigeria, and Dr. Eric Williams. Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. The full statement said: “The mission appointed by the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ meeting to explore the circumstances in which a conference might be held to end the fighting in Vietnam. “Meanwhile, in order to create the conditions in which the mission can carry through its work, the mission is appealing to all parties con-

cerned to show the utmost restraint in military operations as a step towards a total ceasefire which the mission hopes will be established at the earliest possible opportunity.

“The mission would wish to meet all the parties concerned.” Conference sources said the mission was willing to meet the National Liberation Front (political arm of the Viet Cong guerrillas) as part of a North Vietnamese delegation. Hitherto, Britain and the United States had refused to have any kind of discussions with the Viet Cong. The sources said the mission’s willingness to meet the N.L.F. did not imply any recognition of it The Western Powers would continue to re-

cognise only the South Vietnamese Government. The source said the statement meant that the mission had now been firmly established and was ready to begin its round-the-world flight and work. But replies from Peking, Hanoi and Moscow to the mission’s request to visit these capitals were still aw’aited. The mission had a two-fold objective, the sources said: 1. Finding a basis for a Vietnam peace conference. 2. Seeking a basis for a ceasefire. Last night’s statement made it plain that the split between Commonwealth leaders over

the composition and size of the mission had now been largely healed.

India’s Prime Minister, Mr Lal Bahadur Shastri, told Indian students that there was complete unanimity in the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ conference and no split over the sending of a Vietnam peace mission. Mr Wilson, who will also lead the mission to Washington and Saigon, where the initiative has already been welcomed, spent today conferring with his fellow Commonwealth leaders at Chequers. He aimed at stiffening the mission’s authority and satisfying its critics within the Commonwealth, particularly Kenya and Tanzania. Both countries attacked the

choice of him as leader because of his firm support for American policies in Vietnam.