N.Z. AID IN DEFENCE OF HONG KONG

Grey River Argus, 19 August 1949, Page 5

N.Z. AID IN DEFENCE OF HONG KONG

N.Z. And Australian Defence Heads To Confer at Once F.A. WELLINGTON, August 18. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, announced in the House of Representatives to-day that at the request of the United. Kingdom Government, New Zealand had agreed to provide one Dakota transport Hight to assist and relieve the United Kingdom Air Force in Hong Kong. This flight, consisting of three Dakota aircraft, and 57 officers and airmen, will be based at Singapore and employed on transport duties between there and Hong Kong. Personnel are being selected and trained and are expected to leave for Singapore early next month. Mr Fraser said that discussions bad also taken place with f ne British authorities regarding other forms of assistance and arrangements were being made to send three New Zealand frigates tn Hong Kong, if required. The Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, said to-day that the Australian Government had invited the New Zealand Chiefs of Staff to visit Melbourne to discuss common defence problems with the Australian service authorities. Both the New Zealand and Australian Governments had particular concern for the secuity of the South Pacific area and, in order that full consideration could be given to various local defence measures required in the area, it was necessary that there should be the closest cooperation between the seV'ce authorities of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, said Mr Jones'.

The meetings in Australia are expected to last one week. They will be attended by the Australian service authorities, the New Zealand Chiefs of Staff, and members of ihe United Kingdom service liaison staff at Melbourne.

MR CHIFLEY NOT TALKING (R>ec 10.45) CANBERRA, Aug IS. The Prime Minister, Rt.' Hon. J. B. Chifiey, declined to comment on the statement by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, that New Zealand had agreed to provide help for Britain at Hong Kong. However, a Government spokesman recently made it clear that if Britain asked for help, that help would be given. The New Zealand chiefs of stall for the defence talks which have been announced at Wellington by Hon.- F. Jones, today, will arrive in Australia on Saturday and will remain for a week. CONFERENCE AT MELBOURNE IS VERY IMPORTANT BRITAIN’S REQUEST FOR AID IN FAR EAST (Rec. 11.20). CANBERRA, Aug. 18. Co-operation with Britain in the defence of her Far Eastern territories will, it ic understood, be discussed at the conference beginning at Melbourne on Saturday between senior defence representatives of Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. The conference will last a week. Britain will be represented by the United Kingdom Services liaison staff; Australia by its Defence Committee, and New Zealand by her Chiefs of Staff. The three New Zealand Chiefs of Staff are Major-General K. L. Stewart, Commodore G. W. Simpson, and Air Vice-Marshal A. de T. Nevill. The official reason given for the conference is the discussion of “local security measures’’ in the South Pacific. The Australian Minister of Defence, Hon. Mr Dedman, announced that, because of “the particular concern of the New Zealand and Australian Governments for the security of the South Pacific area”, the Australian Government had invited the New Zealand Chiefs of Staff to visit Melbourne to discuss common defence problems with the Australian Defence Committee. “The visit will enable full consideration to be given to various local security measures required in the area, in which there should be the closest co operation between the Service authorities of our two countries and the United Kingdom”, he said. Other matters expected to be discussed at the conference are as lows:—The progress of the Australian long-range weapons programme. The co-ordination of the Australian and New Zealand naval, military, and air training programmes. The joint use of the Manus Island base by the Australian and New Zealand navies. Defence measures in New Guinea. The changed strategical situation caused by the Communist successes in China. Th e stabilisation of Indonesia. THE ANZAC PACT SYDNEY, August 4. Under the Australian-New Zealand agreement signed in January, 1944 (the Anzac- Pact'' the two Governments agreed to act together in matters of common concern in the south west and South Pacific areas. Clause Thirteen of the agreement reads: “The two Governments agree that, within the framework of a general stem of world security, a regional tone of defence, comprising the mouthwest and south Pacific areas, shall be estabished and that this zone be based on Australia and New Zeaim u. stretching through the arc of islands north and north-east o. tralia to Western Samoa and the Cook Islands.”

NEW COMMANDER FOR AUSTRALIAN NAVY (Rec. 11.30). CANBERRA, Aug. 18. The Prime Minister, Mr J. B. Chifley, has announced that arrangements have been made, in collaboration with the British Government, for the appointment of Rear-Admiral J. A. Eccles as Flag Officer commanding the Australian Fleet for two years from October 1. Mr Chifley added Admiral Eccles would succeed Rear-Admiral H. B. Farncomb, whowould assume the appointment of head of the Australian Joint Service Staff in the United States and Australian naval representative and naval attache at Washington early next year. Admiral Eccles, who is 51, joined the Royal Navy early in World War I. In World War II he -erred in command of the cruiser Durban and the aircraft carrier Indomitable, and was for a- period Director of Operations Divisions at the Admiralty.