Letter SYDNEY, 23 June 1938
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of June 22nd [1], with further reference to the export of iron ore from Australia.
In connection with this matter, I understand, from a statement which you are reported to have made in the House of Representatives on May 19th last [2], in replying to a question, that it is the intention of the Commonwealth Government to proceed with a complete detailed survey of Australia’s iron ore resources, and that, should this survey result in the appearance of some reassuring features, the Government will be prepared to reconsider its decision to impose an embargo on the export of iron ore from Australia.
Before communicating to the Japanese Government the contents of your letter under acknowledgment, I shall be obliged if you will be good enough to inform me whether the above-mentioned report correctly represents the policy of your Government with regard to this matter, and, if so, the approximate period of time that the carrying out of the survey in question will occupy.
TORAO WAKAMATSU
_
1 See Document 219.
2 See Document 202.
_
[AA : A981, AUSTRALIA 90]