Cablegram 24 LONDON, 21 January 1947, 8.47 p.m.
SECRET
Your telegram No. 17 of 20th January. Draft Trusteeship Agreement for Japanese Mandated Islands.
1. As regards your paragraphs 1 and 2 you will see from paragraph 2B (i) and(2) of my telegram D. No.19- (a) That we share your view that the present is the wrong time for United States to press their proposals or to put them formally to the Security Council, and- (b) That we propose to make this clear to the United States and to indicate that we regard draft merely as ‘Declaration of intention’, which cannot take effect in advance of Peace Treaty and that we should like to discuss textual points with them.
2. As regards your paragraphs 3 and 4, text of United States draft was communicated to all members of the Security Council, New Zealand, Philippines, early in November and there was consultation at New York between all British Commonwealth representatives as to attitude to be adopted towards proposals. It is not question, therefore, of matter having been raised by United States Government with United Kingdom Government alone or of our wishing to communicate Commonwealth Government’s views as such to the United States. As will be seen from our telegram D. No.19, we were anxious to have your general views before making our own comments and to learn whether you contemplated any approach to United States (particularly in view of what was said in your telegram No.408 [1]). We are, of course, at one with you as to the part which Australia must play in the Japanese settlement and have been very glad to read your telegram No. 18 [2] as to United States attitude on this issue.
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1 Dispatched 29 November 1946. It argued that the fourth preamble of the text to the US draft agreement described the de facto position, but ‘the dejure position can only be determined by Peace Treaty to which countries such as Australia and New Zealand should be party principals’.
2 Cablegram 18, dispatched 21 January, repeated the text of a message given to Evatt by Butler on 13 December 1946, assuring him of US support for Australia’s full and equal participation in the formulation of the peace treaty.
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[AA : A1067, P46/10/61, i]