RUSK CAUTIOUS ON MOVES

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31649, 8 April 1968, Page 13

RUSK CAUTIOUS ON MOVES

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) CANBERRA, April 7.

The American Secretary of State, Mr Dean Rusk, left Canberra for Washington today with a note of caution about peace moves in Vietnam.

In a brief airport interview before he boarded a United States Air Force jet airliner Mr Rusk said that the matter of seeking peace in Vietnam was one that must be taken at one step at a time. The present reduction in bombing North Vietnam was, in effect, the ninth modification of the bombing programme which had taken place, he said. Mr Rusk reminded reporters that Hanoi had only agreed to make contact in connection with the cessation with American bombing of North Vietnam.

Mr Rusk, who had been in New Zealand for a series of conferences, stopped in Canberra on his way home to have talks with the Australian Prime Minister, Mr John Gorton, and senior Ministers. Almost five hours of talks yesterday ended with an announcement 'hat there would be no press conference with Mr Rusk and a brief statement from Mr Gorton, written by his press secretary, that the day had been spent discussing matters “of mutual interest to both Governments.”

A source close to the Prime Minister said that the Americans had requested that there be no press conference. Today, in answer to a question, Mr Rusk said neither he nor any of his party had requested there be no press conference. He did not elaborate. Mr Rusk said that he had "very worth-while talks” with Mr Gorton and his Ministers.

The United States would be keeping in touch with Australia about all moves in Vietnam. Asked about race riots now sweeping America, Mr Rusk said: “All Australians will join us in our sorrow en what has befallen us through a senseless outbreak of violence.

“They are acts of emotion that have come because we are on the move to solve the race problem.” Mr Rusk said the bombing pause would be continued “for some time.” But he said that any suggestion that America would withdraw from Vietnam was “poppycock.” The White House spokes-

man said President Johnson made the United States proposal in a message delivered to a North Vietnamese official in Laos on Wednesday—the same day Hanoi Radio broadcast first word of its willingness to establish contact with United States representatives. The message said that the Ambassador-at-Large, Mr W. Averell Harriman, “would be available immediately to establish contacts with representatives of the Government of North Vietnam,” Mr Christian said in a special statement released to the press. “Geneva was proposed as the site,” he added. Mr Christian said he was issuing the statement “to clarify the present status of our efforts to set up talks with the North Vietnamese Government.”

It was the first disclosure that the United States Government had made a specific proposal for a meeting in Geneva since President Johnson said on Wednesday that American representatives were ready to “establish contact” with the Communists. He suggested no site in his public statement at that time.

The President acted promptly after Hanoi announced willingness for preliminary talks on a cessation of United States bombing and other acts of war. This was after a Presidential announcement last Sunday that bombing of most of North Vietnam’s territory had been called off. Bombing was now confined to a 200-mile zone in the southern part of North Vietnam.

The White House apparently issued its statement to counter reported statements from North Vietnamese officials accusing the United States of delaying a response to the original Communist offer of talks.