FOR PRESS Statement by the Rt. Hon. John McEwen
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade
and Industry, Mr. McEwen, left Sydney to-day to lead the
Australian delegation to the International Sugar Conference
which will commence in Geneva on 17th April.
Before his departure Mr. McEwen said that the
conference had been convened by the Secretary-General of
Dr. Prebisch, with the purpose of negotiating
a new International Sugar Agreement aimed at improving the

NOT TO BE RELEASED BEFORE 10, 30 p. in. ON 8 APRIL, 1968
FOR PRESS: P. M. No. 46/ 1968
ViS-iT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton
The Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, will mak'-e
an official visit to Australia from 21 to 27 May at the invitation of the
Australian Government. In the course of her visit, Mrs. Gandhi will spend time in
Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne and the agreed itinerary is:
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday 21 May a. m.
22 May
23 Maya. m.

FOR PRESS: P. M. No. 45/ 1968
TALKS W. TH MR. RUSK
The American Secretary of State, Mr. Dean Rusk, was at
the Lodge today from 10. 30 a. m. mtil 4. 30 p. m. No. statement
was issued after the talks.
The first session, from 10. 30 a. m. to 1. 00 p. m. was attended
by the Prime Minister, Mr. Rusk and the Minister for External Affairs,
Mr. Hasluck. Luncheon at the Lodge was attended by Mr. and Mrs. Gorton,
Mr. and Mrs. Rusk, Mr. McEwen, Mr. Hasluck, Mr. Fairhall,
Mr. Hulme, Mr. Sinclair and Mr. . and Mrs. Croik.

AUSTRA4IA'T BROADCASTING COMMISSION
FOUR CORNERS
The Prime Minister interviewed by John Penlington
EMBARGOED UNhTIL 9.30 P. M. SATURDAY 6TH APRIL_ 1968
Recorded 5/ L1/ 68
Penlington Prime Minister, you told your Press Conference
last Monday that this de-escalation was the greatest concession
' that the Americans had made. Now, did they make this great
concession without asking Australia whether we agreed they should
or not?
Prime Minister: Well, they informed us on Sunday morning that

FOR PRESS PM. No. 44/ 1968
PORTRAITS FOR KING'S HALL
Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr John Gorton
The Prime Minister, as Chairman of the Historic Memorials
Committee, announced today that, on the advice of the Commonwealth
Art Advisory Board, the Committee had accepted two portraits which
will hang in King's Hall, Parliament House, Canberra. The portraits
are of the Governor-General, by Mr WN. A. Dargie, and of the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, by Mr WN. E. Pidgeon.
CANBERRA, 4 April 1968
BACKGROUND NO4TE:

FOR PRESS PM. No. 43/' 1968
CONTACT BETWEEN4 U. S4 AND NORTH
VIET NAM
Comment by the Prime Minister, Mr John Gorton
As a result of the President's peace initiative, the
Government of North Viet Nam has said that it is prepared to appoint
a representative to determine the unconditional cessation of United
States' bombing and all other acts of war against North Viet Nam.
The President of the United States has said that he will
establish contact with this representative.
Any contacts between the belligerents must contain the

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH 13Y
The Rt lHon. J. G. GORTON, M. P.
ON
REPORT OF ROYAL COMMISSIONERS ON
STATEMENT BY LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER
CABBAN
[ From the Parliamentary Debates," 2 April 1968]
Mr GORTON ( H-iggins-Prime Minister)
Speaker, we have heard tonight
from the Leader of the Opposition ( Mr
Whitlam) an exposition which appears to
attack and to seek to attack not only the
Naval Board, the Government and myself
but also and in particular the findings of
0\ Royal Commissioners who were set up

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH BY
The Rt Hon. J. G. GORTON, M. P.
ON
VIETNAM: STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Ministerial Statement
[ From the ' Parliamentary Debates', 2 April 1968]
Mr GORTON ( Higgins-Prime Minister)
-by leave-Yesterday at noon, Australian
eastern time, the President of the United
States announced-decisions lately taken concerning
the war in Vietnam. Those decisions
were, firstly, to build up the South Vietnamese
armed forces to a planned target of
800,000 men-an increase of 135,000-and

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH BY
The Rt Hon. J. G. GORTON, M. P.
ON
REPORT OF ROYAL COMMISSIONERS ON
STATEMENT BY LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER
CABBAN
[ Fromn the Parliamentary Debates," 2 April 1968]
Mr GORTON ( Higgins-Prime Minister)
[ 8.50-Mr Speaker, we have heard tonight
from the Leader of the Opposition ( Mr
Whitlam) an exposition which appears to
attack and to seek to attack not only the
Naval Board, the Government and myself
but also and in particular the findings of
the Royal Commissioners who were set up

BRIFING FOR HEADS OF BITREAUX,
PARLIAMENTARY PRESS GALLERY,
CANBERRA 1 APRIL, 1968
PRIME MINISTER : You have all had copies of the statement, so there is
no point in r~ eading it over to you, so here I am. What would you
like to ask about it?
Q : Can you tell us what lay behind the President's
statement. Any official or unofficial advice as to why he made
this decision?
PM: Nothing other than would appear on the surface of it
that hie does hope that this will lead Hanoi to start entering into
peace negotiations.