Canberra, 10 April 1972
Confidential Personal
I am worried about our relations with the United States. The problem seems to me to be at two levels. First, I sense a growing anti–Americanism among the general public. This is an inchoate thing but it is a marked change from the atmosphere of the 1960s and in my judgement permeates all age groups. It is not by any means universal but the proposition that the United States is Australia’s best friend does not any longer command general support. There is a general sense of bewilderment, stimulated by the United States news media, about where America is going. Are they really as bad as they sound? Is Nixon a wise man or an extremely unscrupulous one? Was the China visit a good thing or has he kow–towed to Chairman Mao? Are the Americans taking advantage of us in the South Pacific air routes dispute?1 Has the Government allowed itself to become too subservient to the Americans who are taking over the country commercially in any case?
I don’t think most people formulate answers to these queries. But I am sure they are being asked with much more persistence than would have been the case ten years ago.
The second level is the Ministerial level. Ministers are unhappy about the Nixon visit to Peking, Connally’s part in the international monetary negotiations,2 the disillusionment with the United States which has developed in Tokyo and have a general sense that American policy is now something on which we cannot any longer rely. With this goes a deep conviction that Anzus is the best guarantee that we can ever get and that we must cling to the American relationship no matter how distasteful some aspects of their policy may be.
I don’t know what you and I can do about all this unless perhaps there is some way in which we can bring home to Americans the sense of disillusionment which they themselves are generating. For instance, it was a great mistake to send Marshall Green here after Peking. He produced a bad re–action from the Ministers who saw him. He was either consumed with personal vanity to such an extent that he believed a lot of the optimistic nonsense he talked or alternatively, he was lying to bolster a bad case. (I have had this attitude from McMahon, Anthony and Bowen.)
Ministers have come to accept that we are no longer entitled to the sort of consultation we received when our presence in South Vietnam was so important to the Americans. But as a corollary to this acceptance, have come to wonder whether in fact the Americans can really be relied upon to give fair consideration to Australia’s interests.
Perhaps these things are the inevitable outcome of changing American attitudes to world affairs. Certainly they are exacerbated by the posturings of an election year. Equally certainly relations are not helped by a United States Ambassador who has no rapport with senior members of the Australian Government and who is indeed somewhat of a laughing stock. However, we have survived weak American Ambassadors in the past and will I hope continue to do so.
Is there anyone in a position of influence to whom you could talk frankly about these things? The only person I can think of is Alexis Johnson, during a very private lunch. But whether he carries enough weight, I can’ . really say.
I am writing personally because I do not want to be the disseminator of doubts and suspicions—which to some extent I share myself. But I do believe that the United States is basically honourable, sincere and well–intentioned and that what we are witnessing is at least in part an aberration due to the distressing lack of trust between the White House and the professional part of the State Department.
I should be very grateful if you could find time to let me know [how]3 this problem looks from your point of view.
[DFAT: WALLER PAPERS]
1 See footnote 7, Document 259.
2 A major realignment of world currencies took place in the latter half of December 1971 following on from the US Government’s August 1971 decision to suspend the convertibility of US dollars into gold or other reserve assets.
3 Editorial insert; a word was missing in the original.