KY'S WELLINGTON VISIT Mr Mitcalfe Fears Protest Upsets

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31276, 24 January 1967, Page 14

KY'S WELLINGTON VISIT Mr Mitcalfe Fears Protest Upsets

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, January 23. The Committee on Vietnam is worried about possible violent reaction from extremists outside the organisation upsetting its planned protests for the visit to Wellington tomorrow by the Prime Minister of South Vietnam, Air Vice-Marshal Ky.

The committee has organised and has asked its members to observe in orderly fashion demonstrations against the South Vietnamese Prime Minister, first on his arrival at Wellington airport and later at Parliament. But today the chairman Mr B. Mitcalfe, expressed doubts about the possible effectiveness of the efforts, particularly from the point of conveying in the correct manner the view the committee had on Vietnam and New Zealand’s involvement in the conflict. Mentioning the danger of a violent element being present, he said that, with an extremist like Marshal Ky, it might be difficult to stop local extremists from reacting in a violent way. Cocktail Party There has been a report that Marshal Ky would face a hot reception when he holds a cocktail party at the White Heron Lodge late tomorrow afternoon. This is open to various people who have firm links with Vietnam, including the wives of servicemen and Vietnamese students in Wellington. The Committee on Vietnam, however, will not be holding

any protests at this venue—and that also excludes any picketing, said Mr Mitcalfe. “Our arrangements have been made reluctantly. “It’s quite incredible that we should be paying for a visit by this man. He wants more troops and the Prime Minister has said his trip is just a gesture of good-will and to express thanks. There has been a lot of dishonesty about the purpose of it—so much so that I’m very disgusted with the whole thing,” said Mr Mitcalfe. Record of History He said that, as in the past, the committee would be protesting for the record of history. It was a moral necessity and if such protests were not made the Government would be able to act on the assumption that it had the full support of the people for being in Vietnam.

“But in considering the practical value of such pro-

tests, there is the factor that they are offensive to many people.” One of the big reasons for this was because they attracted the extremists who used the committee’s arrangements as the vehicles for their own purposes. “Often Blamed”

The committee was often blamed for their behaviour when its members were not at fault “And most New Zealanders are not in favour of the extreme kind of exhibitionism,” said Mr Mitcalfe. Although the committee was approaching the Ky arrival with reluctance, this was in no way an indication that it would not be organising other projects for the future, he said. “Unfortunately this war is going to continue for a long time and we’ve got a tremendous job ahead of us,” he said.