Cablegram 218 CANBERRA, 12 June 1947, 6 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Advice has been received from Washington that a member of the United States State Department disclosed in conversation that United States was considering calling a preliminary conference, possibly before August, to discuss procedures on Japanese Peace Conference.
2. This is what we feared and that is why I pressed for early meeting. However, we clearly understood (see your 198, paragraph 5) that United Kingdom Government had received an assurance from the United States Government that they would not be taking such action prior to British Commonwealth Conference. Please make sure such an assurance is honoured. We have matter in our own hands as a group. There are five British Commonwealth members on F.E.C. and accordingly we should easily be able to postpone such a conference as is suggested until late September or October.
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[AA : A1068, P47/10/61, ii]