Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVII, Mainland Southeast Asia; Regional Affairs

45. Record of Meeting¹

Washington, October 10, 1968.

SUBJECT

• Record of Eighteenth ANZUS Council Meeting

PARTICIPANTS

• United States
  • Dean Rusk, Secretary of State
  • William P. Bundy, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
  • Amb. Winthrop G. Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
  • Richard C. Steadman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
  • Robert W. Moore, Country Director, Australia-New Zealand and Pacific Islands Affairs
• Australia
  • Paul Hasluck, Minister for External Affairs
  • Sir James Plimsoll, Secretary, Department of External Affairs
  • Sir Keith Waller, Australian Ambassador
  • Robert Furlonger, Minister of the Embassy
• New Zealand
  • Keith J. Holyoake, Prime Minister
  • George Laking, Secretary, Department of External Affairs
  • Frank Corner, New Zealand Ambassador
  • Jack Shepherd, Minister of the Embassy

[Here follows a table of contents.]

EIGHTEENTH ANZUS COUNCIL MEETING

Washington, D.C.

October 10, 1968

Secretary Rusk served as chairman. He proposed that the first order of business be review of the draft communiqué, which was approved with a few minor changes and issued at the close of the meeting.²

Discussion then proceeded on specific agenda items, as follows:

A. Southeast Asian Security

1. General—Prime Minister Holyoake said he had been asked by a New Zealand newspaper editor whether the U.S. would continue to maintain its presence, interest and commitments in the area. The Secretary said it was strange that anyone should ask this question in view of the efforts and sacrifices the U.S. has made and is making to ensure Southeast Asian security. He said the U.S. has definite commitments to Thailand, Laos and Viet-Nam. Hasluck observed that if those countries are secure then the whole region is secure. (Somewhat later in the discussion, Hasluck reverted to this topic to say that Australia sought no further formal assurances of U.S. intentions in Southeast Asia. Deeds speak louder than words; what the U.S. is doing is sufficient indicator of U.S. intentions and determination. In its own interest, Australia can and wishes to contribute in its modest way to the larger security enterprise in which the U.S. is engaged. Australia sees involvement of demonstrable U.S. interest in Southeast Asia as the ultimate guarantee of a continued U.S. role there.)

2. Malaysia/Singapore—Holyoake asked what had been done about an earlier proposal that the U.S. might help to keep the Singapore naval dockyard going by utilizing its facilities. Mr. Bundy said the U.S. was making some use of the dockyard, on an essentially commercial, small scale basis, as a convenience.

Commenting on the five-power security talks in June, Hasluck said the British had been more forthcoming than expected. They had acknowledged some continuing responsibility in the area and had formally—in the communiqué—admitted to a continuing “interest.” Although everyone must recognize Britainʼs reduced capability to play a role in Southeast Asia, Hasluck said, it is encouraging that there are elements in Britain (he mentioned specifically the armed forces, “technical” elements and the Conservative Party) in favor of a continued British role. He noted that the British had participated in joint naval exercises with Australia and New Zealand, just completed, and that they will participate in a larger exercise involving Malaysia and Singapore as well in 1970.

The Secretary asked whether Britain was maintaining its defense agreement with Malaysia/Singapore. Hasluck said yes, and described that as the best arrangement from Australiaʼs point of view. Australia was not in a position to undertake a bilateral guarantee in the area, he said, but preferred to continue its loose adherence to the Anglo-Malaysian agreement. Holyoake agreed, and said that Malaysia and Singapore wish it that way also.

Holyoake said he assumed that the 1970 exercise would provide a test of Britainʼs ability effectively to deploy forces to the area by air from home bases. The Secretary asked if the British would have a problem getting overflight clearances to move forces to Malaysia/Singapore. Hasluck said he understood they would have some difficulties and were planning on using roundabout routes. Laking said that the exercise would be a partial test of Britainʼs post-1971 deployment capability, since the British would be deploying only troops, not equipment and supplies, since in 1970 these would still be in place and would not have to be ferried out.

[Here follows discussion of “3. Role of India in Southeast Asia, 4. Sabah Dispute, 5. Indonesia, 6. Vietnam,” “B. Implications of Soviet Intervention in Czechoslovakia,” and “C. Japanʼs Role in East Asian Security.”]

D. ANZUS Security Consultations

Hasluck said the GOA welcomes the forthcoming (November 18–19) consultations at the official level,³ but felt that the group should not attempt to go too far in “reaching conclusions.” He said that the GOA would be skittish about having officials engaged in talks involving policy making at a time when the government is embarked on a basic review of foreign and defense policy. Moreover, it would be unfair to the officials concerned, Hasluck said, to ask them to “stick their necks out” on policy questions at such a time.

He suggested that the consultative group confine itself to identifying and describing situations and problems that the governments should be thinking about. This concept was accepted by the Secretary and Holyoake.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 4 ANZUS. Secret. Drafted by Moore and approved in S on October 24. The meeting took place in the Secretaryʼs conference room and, according to Ruskʼs Appointment Book, lasted from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. including time for a photo session in the Diplomatic Room. (Johnson Library)
2. The Joint Statement was attached, but is not printed. For text, see Department of State Bulletin, October 28, 1968, pp. 447–448.
3. A substantive record of these consultations, chaired by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Brown and including Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense Steadman and Morton Halperin, Ambassadors Waller of Australia and Larking of New Zealand, and 20 other participants is in a memorandum drafted November 19. (Department of State, Central Files, DEF 4 ANZUS)