AID TO VIETNAM Request Made After Canberra, Says P.M.

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31504, 19 October 1967, Page 28

AID TO VIETNAM Request Made After Canberra, Says P.M.

: _ (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, October 18. There had been a standing request from Vietnam for further military aid but the latest was a separate one, said the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) at Auckland airport today when asked to comment on the decision to increase New Zealand troops there.

“This separate request, which was made quite recently, followed the knowledge of the Vietnam Government of the joint discussions between Australia and New Zealand in Canberra,” he said.

Asked what were the terms of the Request from the Vietnam Government, Mr Holyoake said that as he did not have the relevant papers with him he would rather not try to give something that might not be exact.

He agreed that on October 14 he had said that there were no plans for increasing the force and also that on October 9 the Cabinet had called for a report on the military situation. It was. therefore, just before October 9 that the Vietnam request had been received. Talks With Mr Holt Asked whether he and the Australian Prime Minister (Mr Holt) had considered the possibility of an increase in the two forces, Mr Holyoake said: “Yes.” He said they had studied

the whole of the present position in Asia, with particular attention to the position which would arise as British influence lessened. The question of increasing forces was in the context of this over-all survey. “The Australian thinking on the military situation in Vietnam was probably more advanced than ours was and so we discussed—naturally and obviously—the question of increased forces,” he said. All this was studied by the Cabinet Defence Committee.

“I would have preferred very much to have announced this in Parliament but in the interests of our two countries

and Vietnam, It was preferable to make a simultaneous announcement.” White House Reaction The United States was “gratified” at the Australian and New Zealand announcements of increased troop contributions to the Vietnam war, the White House said yesterday, N.Z.P.A.-Reuter reported from Washington. Officials said they expected that President Johnson would get in touch with the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers to express his pleasure. "We are gratified at the announcments that the Australian and New Zealand Governments are increasing their forces in Vietnam,” a White House spokesman, Mr George Christian, said in a brief statement. “I think it is noteworthy that the increases announced by the two Governments represent almost one third increase in the Australian and New Zealand forces presently in South Vietnam.” Envoy’s Visit Mr Christian., who spoke at a press conference, was asked whether the Australian and New Zealand troop increases resulted from the Pacific tour in July and August by the special emissiaries, Mr Clark Clifford and General Maxwell Taylor. “These Increases In troop commitments were made, I understand, tn answer to requests from the Government of South Vietnam,” he replied.

The spokesman was also asked if the United States expected other war allies, such as South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines, to increase their commitments in Vietnam.

Without replying directly, Mr Christian said decisions of that kind were made by the allied Governments concerned. “It is a matter for each Government to decide,” he added.