185. Editorial Note
On May 8-9, 1962, the ANZUS Council met in Canberra for the first time since October 1959. United States representative Secretary of State Rusk was joined by Admiral Felt and several others. The Australian representative was Sir Garfield Barwick, Minister of External Affairs; New Zealand was represented by Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs K.J. Holyoake. According to a summary of the conversation, transmitted in airgram A-24 from Canberra, May 10, the Council undertook a discussion of Laos and South Vietnam on the morning of May 9. The discussion consisted of a briefing by Admiral Felt and exchanges between Barwick and Rusk on the viability of the Diem regime, the extent of the United States commitment in Vietnam, and me possibility of aid to South Vietnam from Australia and New Zealand. Regarding the latter Admiral Felt offered to smooth the way for aid from Australia and New Zealand when he visited Vietnam after the ANZUS meeting. (Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 67 A 677, 310 ANZUS) For text of the final communiqué issued at the conclusion of the conference, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, pages 992-995.