160. Editorial Note
During a conversation held in Wellington on June 19, Major General C.E. Weir, Chief of the General Staff, New Zealand Army, informed Colonel J.V. Lantermann, U.S. Army Attaché in New Zealand, that “he was thinking in terms of purchasing American equipment for the New Zealand Army and of eventually reorganizing his division along the ‘pentomic’ lines recently adopted by the United States Army.” (Memorandum of conversation by Lantermann, enclosure to despatch 592 from Wellington, June 19; Department of State, Central Files, 744.5/6–1957)
In telegram 215 from Wellington, December 31, the Embassy transmitted a preliminary general assessment of the foreign and defense policies of the new Labor Government which had taken office December 12. A portion follows:
“With respect late government’s declaration of intent to US that they intended reorient NZ army equipment and concepts to make them ‘compatible’ with US General Weir said he thought it unlikely Labor Government would make any material change for Australia [Page 355] moving in that direction and it was basic NZ policy to keep in step with Australia. He did not however think pro-US orientation would now extend to navy or air and in case of the army it might be slowed down under Labor Government.” (Ibid., 790.5/12–3157)