Letter WASHINGTON, 21 October 1947
I wish to thank you for your communication of October 16, 1947 in which you express the hope that the United States Government will accept an invitation to participate in a preparatory meeting on the South Pacific Commission to be held at Sydney in November of this year.
I note in your communication that this invitation has been accepted by every government except the United States. My Government has some hesitation in taking further steps to implement the Agreement before final acceptance, but does not wish to delay any necessary preliminary work which may be useful for the first meeting of the Commission. Therefore, if all other interested governments consider that such a preparatory meeting in November is necessary, the United States will also participate.
My Government understands that the purpose of this meeting is to make recommendations which might assist the Commission, once it is constituted, to carry out more expeditiously its functions as set forth in the Agreement. Details regarding the views of my Government on the proposed meeting are being communicated to the American Embassy in Canberra. [1]
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1 A Note presented by the US Embassy in Canberra to the Department of External Affairs on 27 October confirmed US participation on the understanding that the meeting was a preparatory meeting for the commission, not a meeting of commissioners or commissioners- designate. It nominated Orsen Nielsen as US representative. The meeting convened on 26 November.
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[SFU : EVATT COLLECTION, SOUTH PACIFIC COMMISSION]