Minute 10 MELBOURNE, 30 August 1939, 11 a.m.
INTERNATIONAL SITUATION
The Minister for External Affairs [1] read the text of cables which had been received since the Cabinet adjourned the previous day.
Following on the information contained in the cable from the External Affairs Officer in London [2], the matter of communicating the view of the Australian Government that everything possible should be done immediately to arrive at an understanding with Japan was again referred to. The Minister for External Affairs said that no communication had been made to the British Government on this aspect since the previous day’s decision, but that he would mention the matter to the Prime Minister [3], particularly in regard to the advisability of despatching a cablegram to the High Commissioner [4] at least, urging action upon these lines.
The text of the reply from the German Chancellor to the British Note [5] was not yet available to Cabinet.
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1 Sir Henry Gullett.
2 Cablegram 365 from A.T. Stirling, sent 29 August 1939, 7.15 p.m., not printed, on file AA: A981, Japan 148, ii.
3 R.G. Menzies.
4 S.M. Bruce.
5 See Document 167.
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[AA: A2697, VOL. 2]