TALK TO THE NATION
REDUCTION OF FORCES IN VIETNAM
STATEMENT ON RADIO AND TELEVISION BY THE PRIME
-MINST EK, 1KJJHTGORTDN 16 DECEMBER 1969
Tonight I want to talk to you quite briefly on possible
future developments in Vietnam.
In my Policy Speech before the last election, I had this
to say to the Australian people
" Should there be developments ( in Vietnam) which result in
plans for continuing reduction of United States Forces over
a period, we would expect to be phased in to that programme."
Since I spoke, developments have taken place, and you have today heard
the announcement by the President of the United States that a further
000 troops are to be withdrawn over the next few months.
What has happened is that the President has judged that
there has been more improvement in the military situation than he
previously anticipated, and that the programme of training and arming
Vietnamese troops to take over more and more combat duties has been,
and is being, successful. It has therefore been possible for United States Forces
to be reduced without endangering the objectives for which they, and we,
entered the Vietnam war.
The objectives remain. They are the objectives of
attaining a just peace and of enabling the people of South Vietnam to
live under a Government chosen freely by them, and chosen without the
threat of terrorism or armed aggression from abroad.
I am sure the President of the United States will never
abandon these object ives and neither will we.
But it appears the growing strength and confidence of
South Vietnamese Forces will enable them to play a greater and greater
part in attaining those objectives. If this proves to be true, it will lead
to that continuing reduction of United States Forces of which I spoke in
my Policy Speech. / 2
-2
Therefore I have spoken directly with the President of the
United States, in accordance with arrangements made on my last visit,
and we were in complete accord in agreeing in principle that should the
future situation permit a further substantial withdrawal of troops, then
some Australian troops should be included in the numbers scheduled for
such reduction. Such agreement in principle is all that has been reached,
or all that can at present be reached.
Implementation of this arrangement can only occur in the light
of future military developments in Vietnam and after full consultation and
agreement with the South Vietnamese Governmen t and New Zealand.
I expect that there will be much baseless speculation on these
matters, and indeed there already has been. So I wish to make it clear
That there is no firm timetable for further withdrawal of
United States troops of which I know;
That there is no timetable fixed covering at what stage any
Australian reductions would be phased in to the next United
States withdrawal;
That there is no arrangement made as to how great any
Australian reductions, which may take place in the future, will be.
These are all matters for the future and dependent on future
developments and those future developments cannot now be
accurately forecast. But these things are sure
" We will not unilaterally withdraw any of our forces
" We will not abandon the objectives for which we entered the
Vietnam war
" We will participate in the next reduction of forces at some
stage, when it comes. But the extent and timing of that
participation remains to be settled in discussions between
all the Governments concerned; and
" We will not participate in any reductiorsof our own forces
which in any way endanger those of our forces which remain.
I am sure we will all be happy when the Vietnam war has reached
a successful conclusion. I believe we should be happy that the South
Vietnamese themselve s are able to take over more and more of the
burden of the day. We will remaini to attain the objectives which we started
out to reach. But we are glad we are able to make reductions without
endangering those objectives.
Goodnight.