▁a ▁full ▁combat ▁division . ▁Australia ' s ▁growing ▁attachment ▁to ▁Washington ' s ▁Asia ▁policy ▁proved ▁to ▁reduce ▁Can ber ra ' s ▁capacity ▁and ▁incl ination ▁to ▁function ▁as ▁a ▁middle ▁power ▁under ▁the ▁weight ▁of ▁America . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁Canadian ▁officials ▁designated ▁Australia ▁with ▁less ▁importance . ▁Moreover , ▁Asia ▁began ▁to ▁emer ge ▁as ▁an ▁active ▁source ▁of ▁continu ing ▁bil ater al ▁t ension . ▁Canada ▁had ▁always ▁been ▁s cept ical ▁of ▁applying ▁the ▁European ▁doctrine ▁of ▁contain ment ▁of ▁to ▁Asia . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Canadian ▁s cept ic ism ▁had ▁changed ▁to ▁opposition ▁as ▁the ▁strategy ▁failed ▁and ▁conflict ▁fla red ▁in ▁Vietnam . ▁The ▁Canadian ▁secretary ▁of ▁state ▁for ▁external ▁affairs , ▁Paul ▁Martin , ▁was ▁soon ▁em bro iled ▁in ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Vietnam . ▁His ▁efforts , ▁which ▁included ▁an ▁ill - f ated ▁initi ative ▁to ▁bring ▁P ek ing ' s ▁influence ▁to ▁bear ▁on ▁the ▁U . N .' s ▁deliber ations , ▁were ▁deeply ▁res ented ▁in ▁Can ber ra . ▁Austral ians ▁wonder ed ▁why ▁their ▁former ▁al ly ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁fighting ▁beside ▁them ▁in ▁defence ▁of ▁freedom . ▁Sad ly , ▁recorded ▁the ▁Canadian ▁high ▁commission er ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁" im pose ▁an ▁emot ional ▁bar rier ▁between ▁us ." ▁ ▁Pacific ▁partners : ▁ 1 9