PM Transcripts

RADIO INTERVIZEW GIVEN BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR HAROLD HOLT,
AT PAR LIAMENT HOU FF, CANBERRA. 6TH OCTOBER. 1966.
MR HOLT: It gives me particular pleasure to be able to announce
that President Johnson has found it possible to pay a visit to Australia
en route to the Conference at Manila. As you will know, I have been
pressing President Johnson ever since I saw him in Washington earlier
in the year to make a visit to Australia, and when I found that he would be
in thiis general neighbourhood for the Manila Conference, I pressed that
invitation again, and it is very gratifying to find that he has been able
to make the arrangements necessary to visit this country. I amn sure there
will be value from the visit and in a sense it is quite an historic visit in th~ at
it will be the first visit made by an American President dur.! ig his period -of
office. Here, already, we have a good dividerdout of the Manila Conference.
It was the fact of the Conference which has brought him to this area, and
being in the area, he is making it possible for himself to see something of
the countries in which he finds a growing American interest.
Q. Sir, can you tell us the cities he may visit while he is here
in the country?
MR HOLT: I understand that in Australia he will hope to visit
Melbourne where he spent so many happy hours in war-time during his
service out in the Pacific. He would certainly be expected to pay a visit to
Sydney, and of course we would plan for an official visit to Canberra where
I hope an appropriate Parliamentary occasion would be staged.
Q Can you tell. us the dates, please Prime Minister?
MR HOLT: It is planned that he will arrive here on the 20th and
leave on the evening of the 22nd.