Secret

Australia's Pacific Defence Plan Still

Co-operation With United Kingdom and New Zealand First Consideration

Canberra, June 26.

MEMBERS of the Opposition ganged up on Prime Minister Chifley today on matters of Pacific defence— Mr. Chifley, of course, defending his Government’s policy, which he says is part of the plan discussed at the recent conference of British Prime Ministers in London which he attended.

Mr. Fadden (Country Party) suggested that Australia’s proposals for regional defence in the Pacific had been rejected by the United States.

Mr. Chifley replied that the questions of Pacific defence and of the use of.

Pacific bases had been discussed recently by the Minister for External Affairs, Dr„ Evatt, and the American Secretary for State, Mr. Byrne. “I am not able to give any concrete illustrations of the* sort of arrangements that might be pos sible for Pacific defence,” he said, “or indicate whether those arrangements would be acceptable to the United States.

The Empire’s policy on Pacific defence was decided at the London conference of Prime Ministers, and there have been further conversations regarding Pacific bases and some intimations from the United States regarding Manus.”

He later told a member that the Paci fic bases problem had nothing whatever to do with America’s failure to appoint a Minister to Australia during the past 12 months.

These Parliamentary exchanges threw

no further light on Pacific defence than that already provided by Mr. Chifley on June 19, when he reported to the House on the Empire Prime Ministers’ confer ence. He said that Pacific matters formed the most important subject of discussion at that gathering.

During these discussions the question of regional security in the SW Pacific had come up, and the use by the United States of bases in Australian territories had been discussed. Mr. Chifley had told that conference that Australia welcomed an arrangement for joint use of bases on the principle of reciprocity, but that the provision of bases was only part of the whole military plan for the defence of the region.

Mr. Chifley then told the House that Australia must, in future, make a larger contribution to the defence of the British Commonwealth, and this could best be done in the Pacific, where it could be aproached by an agreement, firstly be tween the United Kingdom. Australia and NZ; secondly, with the United States, and afterwards with other nations who had possessions in the area.

These views, he said, had been fully endorsed by the United Kingdom and NZ.

It was proposed, broadly, that each mem ber of the British Comonwealth accept responsibility for the defence and devel opment of its own area and the strategic zone around it, and to be as well jointly responsible for the lines of communica tions between these areas.