Cablegram 19 LONDON, 9 February 1949, 8.10 p.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE CONFIDENTIAL
Your telegram No.21. [1]
We understand that next meeting of Far Eastern Commission will take place on 10th February.
2. We agree with you that everything possible must be done to maintain right of Far Eastern Commission powers to participate in formation of policy and that increasing tendency of United States authorities to take independent action gives cause for concern.
But many complex issues are involved and we should like to consult further with you and other Commonwealth countries represented on F.E.C. as to how we can best proceed.
3. We should hope to be able to let you have our views very soon and we should much appreciate it if you could defer raising question in F.E.C. meanwhile. [2]
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1 Document 317 2 As no reply had been received from New Zealand, India or Canada, External Affairs instructed the Embassy not to raise the question at meeting on 10 February (cablegram. 81, dispatched 10 February 1949). Noel-Baker replied on 26 April 1949 (cablegram 55) that the UK Government felt that the most serious ground for complaint against the United States was its failure to state its position on the draft policy paper on level of industry (FEC242/32), which was supported by nine members of the Commission, rather than the points listed by Evatt in Document 317, paragraph 2. In view of this difference of opinion the UK Government, had instructed its representative on the Commission to approach the Department of State directly on the matter.
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[AA:A3318, L48/3/3/3/5]