LEE MEETS U.S. ENVOY

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30847, 4 September 1965, Page 15

LEE MEETS U.S. ENVOY

Brief Talk By Grim Men (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SINGAPORE, Sept. 3. The Singapore Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew) and the American Ambassador to Malaysia (Mr James Bell) today met for brief talks on the strained relations between their two countries.

The 30-minute meeting in Mr Lee’s office was not open to the press, although earlier the Prime Minister had invited press, radio and television reporters. Neither man would comment after the meeting which came in the wake of the recent trouble over Mr Lee's announcement earlier in the week that a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency tried to bribe a Singapore special branch officer in 1960. The Associated Press said both men were grim-faced as they met today. Neither smiled as they shook hands. Mr Lee told the Ambassador he thought the press should be in on the early stages of the meeting “otherwise there would be a. lot of misunderstanding.” Press Unwanted Mr Bell replied: “I have to discuss problems which 1 cannot talk about while the press is here. I want to discuss what we mentioned in our last meeting.”

Mr Lee turned to reporters and gesturing with palms open, said “I have nothing to hide.” He added, to the Ambassador: “You asked for the meeting." The statement made by Mr Lee in a televised press interview earlier this week was sharply critical of the United States and declared that their Administration lacked “depth of judgment or wisdom." • Initially, Washington and

the American Embassy in Kuala Lumpur denied that the C.I.A. agent incident had taken place. The State Department subsequently confirmed that the Secretary of State, Mr Dean Rusk, had written a letter. Nothing to SayAfter this morning's meeting. Mr Lee’s personal secretary told reporters that the Prime Minister had nothing to say. Asked if the meeting was held at Mr Bell’s instigation, the secretary said: "Very probably.” Referring to what is now seen by observers in Washington as a tacit admission that the C.I.A. incident did take place, Mr Lee’s secretary said that since the Prime Minister had issued the letter from Mr Rusk he had no more to say. He proved his point. The secretary also said the British High Commissioner in Singapore, Mr J. V. Robb, also saw the Prime Minister this morning. No information was available as to what was discussed.