Statement Following the Visit of Prime Minister Gorton of Australia.

IT HAS been a great pleasure to welcome Prime Minister and Mrs. Gorton to Washington. Mrs. Gorton is of course returning to the land of her birth, so we always have a special greeting for her. Prime Minister Gorton is no stranger to our shores either, and he has come as the head of government of one of our closest friends and allies in the world. We will always be delighted to see them both.

This visit has been most useful for me and, I think, for other officers of this Government. It has given us a chance to get acquainted with an outstanding statesman with whom we expect to be working very closely in the future.

Australia is a member of ANZUS and SEATO, two alliances which are fundamental to our strategy and position in Southeast Asia. As between us, ANZUS, with its provisions for mutual aid in developing our individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack, and its declaration that "no potential aggressor should be under the illusion that any of them (Australia, New Zealand or the United States) stand alone in the Pacific area," is of great importance to both our countries. Australian troops are fighting beside ours and those of other free world nations to help South Vietnam preserve its independence. Australian forces are stationed in Malaysis and Singapore as part of the Commonwealth Strategic Reserve, and Prime Minister Gorton has recently announced that these forces will remain after the British forces withdraw in 1971, to continue making their important contribution to the security of that area. This is a historic and farseeing decision, and needless to say, it has our full understanding and the decision has our support.

Australia is also making an outstanding contribution to peaceful cooperation and economic development in its part of the world. It participates wholeheartedly m the Colombo Plan, the Asian Development Bank, and many other regional activities. In percentage of national income devoted to foreign aid, Australia ranks second in the world. This is a record of which any nation can be proud.

All things considered, I think Australia and the United States can both be proud of the contribution we are making, as partners, to the security and progress of the Pacific region to which we both belong. That partnership and that contribution will continue.

These two days have provided opportunities for us to discuss a whole range of subjects, including of course Vietnam and regional security generally, but including also a number of topics outside the security field. Australia is geographically closer to some of these problems than we are, and Prime Minister Gorton has been in office a year longer than I have, so I have very much appreciated the opportunity to exchange views with him. I have obtained a number of new insights, but fundamentally, I find the perspective from "down under" is very much the same as it is from Washington.

This visit has been both profitable and enjoyable for us. I hope that you can say the same, Mr. Prime Minister, and that you and your charming wife will come and see us again.