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Department of External Affairs to Embassy in Washington

Cablegram 1660 CANBERRA, 27 November 1946

SECRET

Your 1604-Proposed Whaling Commission. [1]

In general we support proposal for a whaling commission. Details of U.S. proposals are being considered and we shall forward any comments as early as possible. [2]

Commission should be integrated into existing international organisation and we therefore support linking with F.A.O. [3]

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1 Dispatched 21 November. The delegation to the International Whaling Conference requested advice on a U.S. proposal to establish a whaling commission linked with F.A.O.

2 Cablegram 1673, dispatched 29 November, expressed general approval of the U.S. proposals, but strongly urged inclusion of equipment control in the agreement, and acceptance of amendments only when unanimous.

3 Australia became an original signatory to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, drafted at the conference and establishing the International Whaling Commission.

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[AA:A1067, ER46/10/15]