U.S. pressure on N.Z. over Singapore base

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33779, 27 February 1975, Page 2

U.S. pressure on N.Z. over Singapore base

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent) WASHINGTON, February 26. The presence of New Zealand troops in Singapore is becoming an acute embarrassment to Mr Rowling’s Government as the United States begins to reassess its position in South-East Asia against the background of prospective neutral Governments in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The reasons, according to a variety of Washington sources, are the increasing aiifhoritarianism of Singapore’s Prime Minister (Lee Kwan Yew) and the crucial : place that Singaporean naval facilities are as-! suming in Western defence plans. Senior Ford Adminis-! tration sources today confirmed that the United |

States was making increasing use of these naval facilities, and added that each: time the Russians sent a! ship into Singapore: “We ■ feel teed off.” New Zealand is resisting American pressures to have! I‘it assume an administrative: i and political role in securing (facilities for primarily American operational use; but in the process New Zealand is incurring suspicions as to the depth of its attachment to the A.N.Z.U.S. alliance. j BOTH RESISTING The Ford Administration wants New Zealand and Australia to assume a bigger I role in running the base — a role that the Labour GovI ernments of both countries are reported to be resisting. But so important is Singapore becoming to strategic plans for Indian Ocean and Western Pacific defence that the United States is soon likely to twist the arms of its A.N.Z.U.S. allies — if l

that has not already begun. Is The basic New Zealand ]r ,i objections to its further involvement in development or ( : the holding of Singaporean [ bases centre on finance and [ ;]its absolute refusal to be- t i.come a “front man” for|i • I American defence oper-. ations. L ‘DO OWN DEAL’ r It appears that Mr Row-'t ling’s Government has, insisted to the United Statesit that if America wants Sing-;, apore to become a bastion j base of the Western defence Istructure of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, it I must make its own deals ■ with Lee Kwan Yew. A similar view is said to have been taken by the Australian Government. The issue is one of the most sensitive diplomatic : subjects to have arisen I among the three Govern- : ments since the United States wanted New Zealand and Australian flags to be flown alongside the Stars

and Stripes in South Vietnam. According to Pentagon officials, if neither New Zealand nor Australia is prepared to go along with an upgrading of Singapore — if Lee Kwan Yew is agreeable — the possibility of a big A.N.Z.U.S. base in Australia must be regarded as the only alternative. These will be important topics of discussion at the A.N.Z.U.S. council meeting in Washington late in April.