Editorial Note
During the President’s news conference held in Washington on May 19, the following exchange occurred:
“Q. Laurence H. Burd, Chicago Tribune: Mr. President, can you say what you think the prospects are of Great Britain joining in the Southeast Asia Pact?
“The President. No, I can’t, because I don’t know.
[Page 493]“Q. Mr. Burd: Do you think we could build an effective pact back there without Great Britain’s support?
“The President. Well, after all, you must remember that Australia and New Zealand are the countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations that are directly involved. I should say that with the proper Asiatic nations, which of course I lay down as a sine qua non, and Australia and New Zealand, we might possibly work out something that would be maybe not as satisfactory or as broad as you would like it, but could be workable.”
For full text of this news conference, which includes additional exchanges concerning the situation in Southeast Asia, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1954 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1960), pages 489–497.