' PRI. IINTSThR'S VISIT TO U. S. AIM U. K.
Press Conference given by the Primae Minister, Mvr. Harold I
on arrival at Dulles Air: oort,, ashington.
28th June, 1966.
DM. HOLT: I am glad to be in WVashington, looking forward very much
to my first meeting with President Johnson. I believe that
he and I have this in cormmon,. that we prefer talking to
people to talking to paper. And, although we have been in
communication from the outset of my own Prime Mlinistership,
I have been looking forward, and I gather that he has been
looking forward,. to making personal contact.
The visit, I think, is timely in that quite recently I
have been Th-South Viet Nam myself and I have comie from the
formal opening of the SEATO Conference where I have been
able to talk to the Foreign Ministers of the countries
directly involved in the area.
And so, having talked with his own Secretary of State,
I shall be able to pass on to the President the views of
other ForeignlMinisters from South East Asia.
61e, of Australia, have very good cause to be appreciative
of what AmRerica has done in that part of the world. liie
recall with gratitude the American action which saved our
own country from invasion at the time of the second world
war. And we have so many interests in cormmon which have
brought us together again as comrades in arms in Viet Nam.
vie believe that thanks to American resolution, communist
aggression will be successfully resisted there. And it is
from the more hopeful reports that have been brought to us
by the delegates to the SEATO Conference and from the
evidence we can give of the valuable gains made in other
parts of South East Asia that I shall be able to strike a
brighter note for the President than some of the reports
I have been reading lately. ( Applause).
Q. 11r. Prime Minister what is the most significant thing you
expect to come out of the SEATO Conference?
M. HOLT: '. ell, this brings together in the SEATO Conference not
only the countries of the area but the major powers which
have brought strength and given a basis of aid and security
to those countries that are situated in the area. And
coming out of the present conference will be, I think, a
deeper understanding of each other' s viewpoints. They will
be able to point not only to the gains which have been made
over the last year, but some of the emerging problems,
particularly the increasing pressure from communism in
Thailand, the developments which will arise out of the
abatement of confrontation by Indonesia. There will be
plenty for them to talk about, but by their combination
they are able to act with strength and in each country there
is recognition now tM t victory is not to be gained by
military maeans alQne, that we must combine also on constructive
positive Q.
MR. HOLT:
MR. HOLT: measures of economic co-operation if vwe are to persuade the
peoples of the area that there is a better world order for
them and that liberty can have a significance which they have
never known before.
Who else do you expect to see while you are here?
In the United States I expect to see in addition to the
President,. Mr. McNardara, PMr. George Ball, 11r. Averell
Harriman and to have sae talk with my old friends from my
days as the Finance Minister, 11r. Connor and Mr. Fowler. So
it will be quite a comprehensive cover in Washington itself.
I go then to New York where I am meeting another old friend
in David Rockefeller., talking to the Australian-American
Association on the day after your July fourth celebration. And
Mayor Lindsay has been kind enough to extend me a dinner on
Tuesday night before I take off for London.
In London I shall be talking irith the Prime Minister,
with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with the 14inister for
Commonwealth Relations and other senior members of the British
Adminis tration.
MLr. Prime 1, iinister you spoke of the brightening picture in
that part of Asia. Do you think the prospects for peace have
improved, and, if so, in what direction?
46ell0 I think you have to direct that question to Hanoi
rather than to the government I represent. We have welcomed
the United States initiative in pursuing every conceivable
avenue for a peace negotiation. So far every such attempt
has been rebuffed from Hanoi. And this is true not only of
efforts made by the United States but by other representatives
of countries that, too, are seeking a peaceful end to the
struggle there.
The good-will towards negotiations is present with us all.
But in order to negotiate there must be two parties to the
discussion. And so far Hanoi has turned a deaf ear to every
effort made in this direction.
DIR. EGGLETON: Thank you gentlemen. I think that is about all we
have tii.-e for today.
Q. I wo id like to ask.. this brightening picture, does it also
include the political situation in South Viet Nam?
MR. HOLT: I understand that it does. ' ve had a talk with the
Foreign Minister of South Viet Nam who fecls that there has
been a signigicant strengthening of the governmIents position
with the people. And he spoke optimistically himself, not
merely of the military progress, but of the political
stability which could be anticipated in the months ahead. I
merely give you his judgment on that matter but it was the
judgment of a very responsible-minded mar. whose faithful
account of events in his own country I have learned to
respect. 4ell, thank you all.
The Press Thank you, sir.