INCREASE IN AUST. VIETNAM TROOPS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 21

INCREASE IN AUST. VIETNAM TROOPS

Not Confined To Army, Says Holt

GV.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

CANBERRA, December 20.

Australia had decided to increase the strength of the Australian task force in Vietnam, the Prime Minister, Mr Harold Holt, announced today. Mr Holt said he would give further details within a few days.

At present Australia has a task force of 4500 men in Vietnam. Mr Holt said the increase would not be confined to the army.

However, he said he could not give details yet because various logistic arrangements had not been clarified with other governments.

Mr Holt said that the increase in the size of the force would not necessitate an increase in national service intakes in Australia in 1967.

United States Government officials last night warmly welcomed Mr Holt’s announcement that Australia would increase its troop strength in Vietnam, according to a cable message from Washington.

It was believed that President Johnson, spending the Christmas holidays at his Texas ranch, was informed in advance of the Australian Government’s decision. Though there was no immediate formal comment from the State Department, officials said the planned Australian

build-up gave further evidence of the determination of the allied nations to increase their assistance to South Vietnam.

There had been unofficial speculations in Washington

for some weeks that Australia would take the step, in part to achieve more flexibility than was possible with its present 4500-man force.