P.M. Disappoints Churches

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 1

P.M. Disappoints Churches

“We were disappointed that we were unable to persuade Mr Holyoake to make a fresh approach to President Johnson or to take any fresh initiative for peace in Vietnam,” said the secretary of the National Council of Churches (the Rev. D. M. Taylor) reporting yesterday on an N.C.C. deputation to the Prime Minister on Monday.

“The conclusion the deputation drew was that, in Mr Holyoake’s view, everything possible had already been done and the initiative lay with the North Vietnamese Government. “The deputation rejects this view, and believes that there is a moral obligation to make further efforts,” said Mr Taylor.

The deputation consisted of the council’s president (the Very Rev. M. W. Wilson), its vice-president (the Rev. W. S. Dawson), the chairman of its executive (the Rev. A. H. McLeod), Mr Taylor, an'* three members of its commission on international affairs—Professor D. W. McKenzie, Dr. G. P. Barton, and the Rev. G. Wilson. Mr Taylor said that Mr Wilson expressed “the' deep concern of Christian churches all over the world at the increasing scale of the war in Vietnam, the horrible acts of the Viet Cong, and the conduct of the campaign by those with whom we are allied.” Mr Wilson presented copies of statements by the Pope, the central committee of the World Council of Churches, officers of the W.C.C. and of the National Council of Churches in the United States, the Methodist Conference in England, the Archbishop of Canterbury (the Most Rev. Michael Ramsey), the British Council of Churches, and the

World Conference on Church and Society. The deputation endorsed these documents and urged the New Zealand Government to redouble its efforts to bring a just peace in Vietnam. It suggested that Mr Holyoake approach President Johnson. Mr Taylor’s account of the meeting continues:— "The National Council of Churches rejected absolutely the view that the massive use of modern armaments among a peasant population was justified by the evils of communism and urged that the present bombing o' North Vietnam should cease. “The council viewed with deep concern the continued escalation of the war, particularly in the bombing of North Vietnam, which had ’ completely failed to bring North Vietnam to the conference table, which was its avowed purpose. “The deputation said that, if Mr Holyoake would openly and fearlessly take the lead : in an all-out attempt to bring

about de-escalation In the hope that a truce would result, he would have the support and prayers of Christians all over the world.

“Mr Holyoake said that no- < one in New Zealand felt the ( burden of this war on his conscience more than he did himself. And no-one in the world felt it more than President Johnson. Three hundred attempts had been made to persuade the Government of North Vietnam to corrie to the conference table. But all the response obtained was a contemptuous silence. He did not know of anything that could be done that had not already been tried. ‘All the people 1 know in Asian countries are deeply grateful for what the United States is doing in Vietnam,’ Mr Holyoake said. “The deputation emphasised that the future relationships of New Zealand with countries in South-east Asia would be seriously affected by what is happening there. ‘We believe that what is. happening there will make the United States a deeply-hated nation in Asia,’ it said. The voice that comes from Asia through church channels is different from the voice the Government hears’.” Mr Taylor said that the i > churches round the world did i not put the same interpretation on events in Vietnam as Mr Holyoake and President Johnson did. The central committee of the World Council of Churches had set out 10 steps which were specific proposals. These steps had not ■ I yet been tried.