Letter CANBERRA, 2 July 1947
I wish to refer to your letter of 23rd May, 1947, in which you inform me that the Soviet authorities knew nothing about the system of microphones, fourteen in number, recently discovered to have been installed at the building in Moscow occupied by the Legation of Australia.
Since my previous letter and the reply from yourself, a full and complete report has been received by the Government.
That report establishes that there was no unjustifiable haste in sending my previous letter and that, far from our protest being baseless, as your letter suggested, it was well-founded and based upon indisputable facts and, in the circumstances, our protest was most restrained in character.
As the Soviet Government, however, denied all knowledge of this microphonic system, the Australian Government assumes that its representatives at Moscow will always be given the full privileges and immunities which are accorded to diplomatic representatives and also the consideration which my Government has always been most willing to extend to the representatives of the Soviet Government in Australia.
_
_
[AA: A1838, TS4626/1/5 1]