Cablegram 815 CANBERRA, 12 July 1947, 4.55 p.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
Your F.E.C. 183. [1] Basic Policy.
Please issue immediately your own press statement to the effect that Australia, when voting for the adoption of the Paper on Basic Policy, did so on the understanding that the policies laid down in this paper are subject to and without prejudice to discussions which will take place during the negotiations of the Peace Treaty with Japan and the provisions of the Peace Treaty with Japan.
State clearly that this understanding is recorded in the minutes of the Far Eastern Commission. [2]
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1 Dispatched 10 July, it advised that the FEC on that day had considered the text of the Secretary General’s press release on the Basic Policy Paper. During this meeting Makin had pointed out that the recommendation ‘did not adequately meet the views expressed in Australian statement at time we voted for paper’. The meeting carried the recommendation by a 9 to 1 vote. Makin suggested to the Department of External Affairs that they might wish to consider issuing their own press statement.
2 On 12 July the Embassy in Washington issued a press release along the lines given in this cablegram.
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[AA : A1068, P47/10/61, iii]