Munro Doctrine Rejected

Sir Leslie's views were not wholly acceptable to the students, said Congress Chairman Professor A. Crowther after Sir Leslie had spoken and been subjected to a barrage of objections from the floor. Sir Leslie had spoken on the Indonesian-Malaysian crisis.

Students who spoke from the floor criticised him for neglecting to consider Indonesia's internal situation. One comment was "the geography, religion and politics had tended to cause disunity in Indonesia, which meant Sukarno's only action could be one of expansion". Another said that he had heard from an unbiased friend that at the time of the UN survey in Malaysia, those who were known to be against the Federation were hindered from obtaining transport to the Commission. He continued. "Sukarno's cries are mainly for internal consumption."

An Indonesian student claimed that there was ample evidence that the US had supported the Sumatran rebellions, a contention with which Sir Leslie disagreed.

Other topics Sir Leslie touched on briefly in his talk entitled "International Affairs" were the "pause" in which the world found itself at present in international relations. There was a "pause" between the West and the Soviet Union, a pause before Britain may join the Common Market, giving New Zealand time to expand her overseas trade, which she needed to do with a greater intensity.