Lodge, Nevile Sidney, 1918-1989 :Most diplomatic sources recognise that the New Zealand force to Thailand will be purely symbolic - In fact, even perhaps something of a nuisance to the American and Thai commanders - News. "Suppose you'll be going to Thailand, Sarge - for a force that's going to be a nuisance we'd only send our most experienced nuisances, wouldn't we?" 23 May 1962

The cartoon shows three New Zealand soldiers reading the news that New Zealand is to send a force to Thailand. One of them comments that because New Zealand is considered almost a nuisance (because so insignificant) only the most experienced nuiscances are likely to be sent. A sergeant standing nearby looks extremely annoyed. Refers to desire by Thailand of a military guarantee of security from Washington that would hopefully induce the United States to use its power to preserve Laos and Cambodia as non-Communist buffer states on Thailand's borders. In 1962, three RNZAF Bristol freighters with support personnel and 30 Special Air Service personnel were deployed to northeastern Thailand. They joined forces from the United States, Thailand, Australia and the United Kingdom to prepare against a feared invasion of Thailand from across the Laos border. The crisis was resolved before any invasion was launched. At the time, there was an ongoing Southeast Asia Treaty Organization exercise known as Pony Express, which was practicing an insertion of military forces in a notional country to meet an external assault. The combination of the announced possibility of U.S.inter-vention and the existence of SEATO forces prac-tising such a contingency may have impressed the Laotian factions to bring about a coalition.

Regional defense organization (1955-77) comprising Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Britain, and the U.S. SEATO was founded as part of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty in order to protect the region from communism. It had no standing forces, but its members engaged in combined military exercises.

Quantity: 1 original cartoon(s).

Physical Description: Ink, letratone and crayon on card, 280 x 310 mm

Finding Aids: Photocopies available in Pictorial Reference Service.