Cablegram 1237 WASHINGTON, 6 September 1946, 8.39 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Our No. 1211. [1] Trusteeship.
The State Department today asked us to call and gave us orally United States Government’s view on Article 7 of the Australian Draft Agreement. While it is evident that some sections of the State Department are privately sympathetic with the Australian desire to keep agreement as short and simple as possible and feel that some of the revisions and additions suggested by the United States are unnecessary, there is apparently general agreement between the State, War and Navy Departments that Australian Article 7 in present form is too brief.
They are clearly anxious for inclusion of specific provision to cover any agreement that may eventually be reached respecting joint use of bases, and would accordingly like to see substitution of Article VII of New Zealand draft for Western Samoa, or something on similar lines. [2] They are satisfied that New Zealand Article VII makes such provision, and would like to know whether Australian Government interprets it in same sense.
We understand that the State Department are telegraphing the foregoing views to the American Embassy, Canberra.
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1 Dispatched 29 August, it summarised U.S. comment on the Australian draft trusteeship agreement for New Guinea. See also Document 93.
2 The reference presumably is to Article IX of the New Zealand draft trusteeship agreement for Western Samoa which noted the right of the administering power to base armed forces in the territory and to install military facilities by arrangement with other U.N. members.
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[AA:A1838/238, 306/1/1, ii]