VISIT TO THE US AND CANADA
SYDNEY, N. S. W.
ARRIVAL PRESS CCNFERENCE GIVEN BY THE
PRIME MINISTER, MR JOHN GORTON, ON ARRIVAL a:
AT MASCOT AIRPORT6 6APR I L 16
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, gentlemen. I think I have been
travelling for 26 hours, if my count is right. I will thro~ w this open
to anything you might want to ask me for a few minutes before I go
to get some rest.
Q. What were the results of your talks with
Mr Nixon, Sir?
PM: I think I would put it this way, that the real
value of them, although it wasn't worked out to be that way, was
that they laid the groundwork they were preliminary talks they
laid the grundwork for further pursuit of the subjects in May,
after there has been time for full American consideration of those
subjects. I think their real value lay in opening up all these subjects
so that in May there would be far more detailed consideration and I
think therefore, more valuable talks as a result.
Q. Sir, can you see any changes in American
policy in the Pacific area as a result of Mr Nixon's conversation
with you?
PM: I don't think so. I wouldn't presume to say
that definitely, but I think the new American administration is
re-examining problems in all parts of the world. But I am sure in
my own mind that they are not putting the South-East Asian area
the Pacific area away. They are not saying " Well, this is no
longer important". I am sure they have a full realisation of the
importance to the world of this region as well as the other regions
which they are re-examining generally.
Q. What are the main subjects on which these
investigations will be taking place and which you will be discussing
later with the President?
PM: Well, we will be talking about I will
be talking about the stability and security of the particular region
in which we are closely interested, and of the American attitude
towards that, towards the economic assistance in that area, towards
trade assistance in that area, towards all kinds of assistance in
that area. We will be talking about though not reaching conclusions
on, of course the situation in Vietnam. There will be further
matters to be reported there. Then there are trade matters as well
.2
-2
PM ( Contd. which are by no means Insignificant the question of meat exports
and wheat exports and then with Dr Kissinger, or with the
Secretary of Defence or the Secretary of State, there will be a
number of " nuts and bolts" things. These will be not so much
procurement in Australia of buying sugar in order to feed
the troops in Vietnam, but rather manufacturing parts here, . the
cross-fertilisation of military equipment that kind Of " nuts and
bolts" talk.
Q. Did you discuss the Australian wheat freights with
Mr Trudeau?
PM: I did mention that we knew there was alleged to be
a problem. I had rather longer discussions on them with Mr Pepin
who is the Trade Minister and who will be visiting Auatralla quite
shortly. They,. I think, have a view, although I pointed out it
hadn't been demonstrated to us, that while Australia has not got
this price below the IGA minimum for wheat, it is perhaps not
working out its freight rates in accordance with some rather
complicated formula. I don't believe that has been demonstrated
and I said so, but it is the subject of technical discussion at the
present moment, I understand.
Q. Can you see any chnange in the rates?
PM: Well, I can't, as I say, because this is a matter of
technical discusrion in Washington now, I believe, between our own
representatives and others to see whether anything of that kind is
happening. But what is quite certain is that Canada and the United
States have dropped their wheat prices below the IGA minimum and
the United States say they have had to do it because of thi~ s freight
business. Well, this will all be worked out to see whether it is
a matter of fact; whether it~ r isn't so. What is quite clear is that
all three countries must see that th-IGA works, that nobody does
undercut, that it does work because it is to the benefit of all of us
that it should.
Q. Judging from the press conferences that you had in
Canada, they were very concerned by it.
PM: Well, wheat is of immense significance to Canada
and ourselves and indeed to the United States. It is of great
significance to all three countries, and there is an awful lot of
prairie and wheatgrowing land in Canada.
Q. Sir, there were reports that you were discussing
mutual projects recently ; 3
-3
PM: We were-talking, but not talking specifically, on the
approach -wicti. Mr Trudeau had made clear he felt Canada should take
that is looking rather more towards the Pacific countries and,
I take it, South-East Asian countries and Asian countries generally.
There were no mutual projects, but I took the opportunity to say
where we thought things coiuld be done of advantage to the region
generally.
Q. In your talks with Mr Nixoin, and Dr Kissinger, Sir,
did the question of America' k possible change of attitude to Red
China come up for dis cussion and any possible effects it may have
on our own attitude?
PM: No. It didn't come up for discussion at all. It wasn't
raised. Are you basing this on the speech by Senator Kennedy?
Q. No. On the reports that were received back. Is it
likely to come up at the next meeting?
PM: I haven't got it down, and I have had no indications
myself that there is likely to be a discussion.
Q. Did you receive any indication of the progress of peace
talks in Paris?
PM: I had an indicatioin of what was happening in Paris, but
this was in private conversation and I am afraid it must remain
entirely private. I wouldn't make any comments of any kind up tin it.
Q. Sir, what were your impressions of Nixon as a leader?
PM: Well, I think you kn ow because I had an informal
press conference with some of the Australian boys over there.
I believe he will be a great leader of the United States. I liked him
very much as a man, as you know. Sometimes you meet people and
you really do like them. Somctimcs more rarely yuu dislike them.
Very often they are just people. I really did like him as a man and
s0 1 might be a little coloured in my judgment. But I think he s hould
be great because they have terrific problems in so many parts of the
world and in their own country, and they really do seem to be
digging in to try to find out and define the problems and what the
causes of them are, and this must be the first step towards trying
to solve them. I would hate to have the burden of trying to solve
them myself