Joint Council’s View Of Assurance

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32053, 30 July 1969, Page 1

Joint Council’s View Of Assurance

President Nixon’s assurance on the protection of the New Zealand-United States meat trade confirmed the contention that New Zealand troops were in Vietnam basically to maintain the New Zealand standard of living, the Rev. M. A. McDowell, chairman of the Christchurch Joint Council on Vietnam, said yesterday.

Dr McDowell was commenting on < report in “The Press” yesterday that President Nixon had told the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) that he would make the most serious effort to ensure that New Zealand’s Interests were advanced rather than harmed in “all decisions related to our mutual affairs.” “Mr Holyoake’s earlier statement that ‘restrictions on New Zealand exports to the United States make it difficult for the Government to justify to New Zealanders its alliance with America* is capped by his latest statement that ‘if there was no bar to markets for our agricultural products this would give New Zealand the highest standing of living in the world,’ ” Dr McDowell said. “Do New Zealanders want the highest standing of living in the world if it is based,

even partly, on the necessity of participating in the destruction of Vietnam? "The Christchurch Joint Council on Vietnam reaffirms that New Zealand's military commitment is illegal, immoral and impractical. “Now that our Government’s motive for military commitment in Vietnam is clearly established and publicised, New Zealanders are confronted with the necessity of deciding whether the maintenance and improvement of our standard of living at the expense of Vietnamese lives are justified on any grounds whatever, legal, moral or economic,” Dr McDowell said.