PRi ii IT ISTER'S VIS. IT TO U. S. . IND U. K.
Press Conference gaivte, n by thToe Primee . inister,
Mr. Harold Holt, B. alta ir THouse,., ashinton. 1st July, 1966.
Q. ' ould you sum up how your feel about this visit?
HR. HOLT: Mr. Cox, as you know, mjy rain pu. rpose in co:: ing to
iashington was to establish a closer working relationship .;: ith
the President and senior mei. bers of his Administration, I think
it can be fairly clai., ed that this objective has been completely
satisfactory and successful viewed from . y standpoint. Certainly
I have been shown a '. ar kindness and generosity of reception,
and in my discussions I have found all those with w-hom I have
talked forthcoming in giving me whatever infori.: ation was sought
from them. i have had some very useful discussions with some of
the leading members of the Administration, and these will be
helpful not only to a better ! nderstanding c United States policy
as it applies henceforth, but I will have a background to
developments as they occur from now on.
I am the more strongly persuaded than ever that the
President is making every conceivable effort to secure a peaceful
outcome to the struggle in South Viet larn, but I an also firi; ly
clearly of the mind that his own resolution remains unwavering,
and in that he has the full support of his colleagues. That is
the strong impression I have gained from my talks with him.
Q. iir, Prime Minister, there is some oriticism in Australia
in one or two newspapers and in one or two political quarters that
you are being too fulsome about American policy. Any cormment?
MR. HOLT: w. ell, if I am fulsome, I believe we have every reason to
be. If Australia cannot be appreciative of what Am. erica has
meant to our country in terms of security and coradeship, then
there is little room for gratitude left in the world. That does
not mean that we have to agree at all tii: es vitheverything that is
done or said, but what it does mean, that there is a basic friendship
and comradeship between us which surmounts any minor
differences which may arise from time to time in sole aspect of
government..
Q. Mr. Prime . inister, may I ask so: ething going to the
point of how, much consultation there is between the two
governments? For instance, on the decision to bomb Hanoi and
Haiphong, were you informed just as the planes :, ere about to
take off or did you have enough advance notice that you could
express your views?
im. HOLT: / e had enough advance notice,
Does that mean, sir, before you left Australia?
JEHO: ell, I ao not '. znt to go ilto detail about -hat is
obviously highly confidential discussions botween goverm.-ents.
Iaade the poijnt before to you that from-thile tiLe I took oflice,
President Johnson made it knov. n to i; C that he wished the sale
intimate basis of consultation ;' hich has developed between Sir
Robert lenzies and himself to continue, and that has been the
situation bet>-. en us, .; hat this visit has done has been to put
all those intimate consultations into a frame'w. ork of personal
association. oes thAt mean, Lr. Prim. e minister, it is between the
President and the Prime linister, or on the State -epartrient
Lxternal Aifairs level? Just the machinery, I mean?
il. IHOLT: .1ell, there are at timnes coL: L:, unications which remain
on a President to Prime linister basis. . ie both have the
responsibilities of final judgment and leadership in our
respective Adm. inistrations. There are other occasions and other
topics on which clearly discussion inside the Australian
Government is sought and it occurs from, timie to tine.
Q. Are your talks this week, sir, in anything of the nature
of decisions on any points or understandings?
IR. HOLT: Iell, they haven't been talks on mere generalities or
exoressions of good ill, however sincere and desirable, There
have been some good working sessions on matters in which we are
both interested, but I an afraid i cannot develop the themes.
Q. 1r. Prime lii: ister, could you give us your appraisal
of' the situation in ca. munist China, and to -hat degrce it is
now affecting the situation in Viet 11am? Do you think there are
any efforts to, ards peace?
1i2. HOLT: ell, I an not sure that I apprehend the -iuestion
completely. I do not think anyone can have a very authoritative
view at the present time as to just ,. hat is happening inside
cona; unist China, In fact, I doubt whether the couunist leaders
themselves can have a very clear view of all the currents that
apear to be swirling around in that country There appear to be
significant changes occLr. rn g, and this is s-,: mething quite
distinct fro-the ideological conflict or tacticl conflict that
has been going on between China and Soviet icussia. ., ith an
ageingleader in China, it appears th!. t there are forces working
towrds the' day *; hen soxc change in leadership will occur. But
ho.: far there are fundamental policy changes, it -wo! ald take
somileone mnore highly specialized in analy. sis of the China
situation than myself to answer that question.
r. Prime i iter, has yo-r visit to , ashington sho* wn
you any wvay in w; hich lustralia can take initiative to! wards peace
in Viet Nan?
LR. HOUP: I do not think so. It is well kno-', n that we supoort
the efforts for peace. There has been : o indication that any
level the Hanoi Govern.:. ent old be receptive to a peace move.
Australians aLe a friendly people and a conciliatory people.
( Mr. Holt contd)
I think th: Kt they 1ould be Jlad to join in mny capacity in the
task of securing pieace, if this co-ld be negotiated, but there
is no fresh initiative that seti. is possible aa-si leD, ean Ruskl
puts it, the other fellow keeps hanging up the phone.
Q. He said this in Canberra yesterday?
HOLT: Yes.
Q. sir, does the oosition of 1Australia in firx support of
the United States policy in Viet 1Nani have any overtones for you
when you have you, discussions with Prime inister ilson in
London next week? . ill there be an effort at persuasion wIade
there?
vMR. HOLT: NO. I look fo2rw; ard to hav. i. ng a very frank and full
discussion with Prime ister dilbson. It goes without saying
that it w1ill be a friendly discussion, and it would be a sad day
in the affairs of our two countries :. hen ie could not speak
frankly to each other, exhibiting those in which ve can find full
agreeiment and those in which so. e dizferences nmay exist. I do
notrayself forsee difficulties in discussion, but they , would be not
worth the journey from the distance th t I have ,: iade if they were
not to be in fact frank and searching discussions. I am sure : e
shall have those.
Q. Do your talks give you any
MR. HOLT: I was going to make a com. ent about the introductory
part of your question. I don't know ;. hether I have yet miade it
sufficiently clear in this country that Austrlia's attitude in
relation to same is not merely a process of following in the wake
of American policies. That ' ustralia has seen the struggle in
South Viet NThim as Jrore directly involving it ththe United States
itself. I think it is an act of far-sighted statesmanship for the
United States to join in the resistance to aggression there, but
if there were not champions on the nainland of . isia, then
Australia and i. any other countries would feel far less secure
than they uo at this tim-e. And so vie have quite an independent
judgment which fortunately leads us to the sam. e conclusions as
those which have been reached by the United States.
Have your talks given any indication at all whether a
terination of the war can be measured in terms of years or
nonths?
MR. HOLT: iell, I will put it in a slightly difrerent v. a y. I find
rather more optimismi here, as I did in Canberra, than I have
known at any earlier point of time as to the outcom. e. But I
think it is best that i don't put a tine factor too precisely in
this sort of thing, but undoubtedly there is a feeling hicm -; as
reflected by the Foreign iIinisters and others at the SEATO
Conference coming frc.; the area them , selves, and I find that
reflected also hc; re in .: ashinrgton at all levels where I have held
discussions.
Q. Even amfong the critics of the Johnson Adinistration,
sir?
Ii7~.~-TO'iP: NO, o, w s) e-k--ng of' tihose inside thed~~ trt n
P:., rhaps there hasn' t bEen tiim-e or perhaps peo_,. le are rather too
polite ,, hcn they encounter
I know1M, sir.
x. R HOLY: But Ihaven't touched off a debate on this iiatcr
Q. I notice SOf> O-. of the Luests at dinner parties have
included strong critics of the Johnson Adxiinistration. I , onder
whether you had any chance " or argurment?
M. HOLT: No, I haven't had and they haven't soughtu to Y.; ake an
argument of it. At the -, h. ite House luncheon I thinik sittin-g
immiediately opposite was . senator Fuibric-ht, but he made his
vie-. w1s kno clearly a;-n d vigorously enough.
Q. Did you get across to him, sir, how m71any troops there
are? Did you -et across to himi imany Au stralian troops are
in action?
M. HOLT: I aim: still fi-nding it a little diflicult to ha--ve people
realize that -' astralia is not represented m-, erely iLn Viet NHa;;, and
1 have been rather surprised to learn the extent of ignor. ance in
relation to the .,, ustralian population. -iiven our good friend the
President yesterday ga,: ve an enlarger., ent to the point that as a
form---er ImiliAgratioi i-nister th-t delighted ebut I found in a
numerofplaces som, e surprise th't A1-, stralia has as yet only
reached eleve n and a half iimillion peo. ple. It is rather
flatte really, because -, wec appepar to make a big--er noise
than that. Did I understand you to say, sir, that you find i~ t a
little difi'icult to ire upon peo. ple that lustralians are
actually fijghting in Viet NaLLI?
1IR. HOLT: Oh, No,, N\ o, that ' usti:-lans are at other points around
S3octh Last Alsia.
Q. Yes.
1M. HOLT: For examj-, ple, w., e have trcoops in .' est . Ilays ia, wehave
theia in Borneo, . e halve them at Ubon, in ThaiL3:. nd. have
responsibilities in respect of Papus and iJew Guine3a, land. u ha-. ve
a requja-ehment to use superior trained regular service i~ icn for the
expansion of our oiwn forces both in the regular ariy units and
the civilian m-i litary force, the CuPT as w., e call it.
No%' w, all of the gocner-, lr of newispapr knws bu
it, that kustralia ha,; s a task l'orce of four and a hal:,; f thousand
in South Vict Niami and th: ot-doesn't seim very but as a
force of regular ; e-ta uLtroops, thcludiiug the Il1ational
~~ ervice re -otpon ngtie t the num,--bers up, nd hay rig
regard to the rotatl-nml aspect of that service, this is not
wit'hout so:: e stress on our failrly 1lmited resources. But w e
have shown ourselves in a sitaation of' need. 71Jis has been
dePmonstrutuAd ccrtailyl in thc. tx, o world wars, ofi supjyi-ng that
neud i-Jhen it is rcequired of us.
( MR. Holt contd j.
I think that it is wel recognized now by the Ad. miniistration
here that Australia does h . ve a problem of development as . veli
as a need to supply forces in the defence fiuid. There is I
think as a result of the discussions we have held from the
begiining of t'iis year on.,. rc:-s a recognition that these
development tasks do create demands on our rescurces -which place
some li. it on our capacity in other directions.
I don't knovi whether I have : uoted to you before the
figure of savings in consumption in Australia, which amount to
about 28 per cent of our gross national incom: e, and in the
United States and Great Britain there is a with-holding frcm
consumption of about 17 to 18 per cent as against 28 in Australia,
and ours is the highest figure of any country in the world with
the exception of Japan, so that we are using our own resources
and abstaining fr'm consumption of -what ie produce ourselves,
in order to develop and defend.
Q. Could you expand a little on what makes the situation
look a little brighter in South Viet -Nam?
IR. HOLT: ,' ell, a combination of factors. I think the military
operations themselves are proving much more effective. The
defection rate is quiite significant. There is more information
being gathered which is enabling more effective military actions
to follow up. I think that the political situation has
brightened internally, at least to the extent that Prime Minister
Ky is coming through his trouble with the buddhists rather better,
I think, than i: ost observers had expected. shall still watch
with interest the ej. ergence of the Assembly, the constituent
Assembly, following its elections, and no doubt there '.-ill be
political problems associated :. ith the drafting of a constitution.
But there Is am; ongst the diplomatic and ilitary representatives
not only of the United States, but of Viet Nam, of our owm
country and other countries represented there, a feeling that
significant progress is being maie both in the military field,
in the organization of the country, and with sa: Te improvement in
the political atmosphere.
I think, too, there are portents around the area in
other countries '. which have their own significance. I firmily
believe that you would not h:. ve had develop on the scale and the
man!-er that it did the action against co. mmLunis in Indonesia,
if there had been a general feeling in Indonesia that co. ~. munism
was going to win in -sia, and the announcement of military
participation by Thailand, the final discussion/ fe Philippines
to make engineers and security forces available, I think these
things all reflect the assess: ments v. hich governments of both
countries : make of the situation.
Q. Did you get any kind of clues about the kind of
government in South Viet Nanm vhich would be tolerated by
Australia ancd iAerica, in the event of elections or in the
event of a pacification, especially the election'
6.
fi. HOLT: I do not think it is for ~ s to try to dict.' to a for21
01 i& overi-ment. . hat is dlesired, I think, is a govcrniwint
capablo of' rumni!_ ig the country cffectivuly, protecting
individual liberties, providing for an ii1roved cconlO-. ic
manageTment and 30is.,., 74 standal-ds that ' s the sort of
government thlat 6o, -th Viet 1Llai; a is looking f or. Until the
railitar, operati,_ ns can be broi.--h: t succeLssful_ lfy~ tU 1f
ccai-ly you ar-e going tr) have a strong 1m. ilitary influence in any
governr~ ent hihMay be œ! med.
P-i-e Ivinst r, it is 1O. OC o'clock, so I think it Ls
bes t ~ eshoudid close.
HC. Thank you for the very generous cover that you have
Liven to our' visit here, That ccrtainly helped toy ards ma. I~ kin-g
it i: orc sacccssful.