Letter 9 January 1940,
I read with great interest of the appointment of Mr. Casey as the
first Australian Minister to Washington, and would like to take
this opportunity to congratulate you for your unprecedented
leadership in building this necessary bridge across the Pacific.
Co-prosperity among the nations in the Pacific would be impossible
should one not be understood by the other. I can visualise the
gigantic contribution of this country, under your leadership,
towards the advancement of civilization of mankind and the
reconstruction of the world.
Last April, nine months ago, you mentioned to me the necessity of
a closer association and a better understanding among the Pacific
nations. I also learned of the desire of your Government to
establish diplomatic representations in Chungking and Tokio after
the completion of the procedure of establishing your Legation in
Washington. These two representations, when established,, will
join the one at Washington to bind the Pacific Powers watertight,
and the united efforts of the three Ministers of this great nation
under your leadership will be, as Confucius so aptly said, ‘the
old horse’ to lead the way towards permanent peace. I then cabled
to my Government and was instructed that China will be ready to
reciprocate at any time when preparation for diplomatic
representation of Australia to my country is made by you. This
view was conveyed to you in Canberra by me in person last May.
The press reported today your immediate consideration of a
Minister to Tokio. Under the present circumstances I cannot but
think that our most urgent task in building peace in the Pacific
is to remove Japan’s misunderstanding. The establishment of
diplomatic representation in Tokio will certainly help the work,
and your farsight deserves admiration. However, there comes to me
naturally a question; What will be the diplomatic relation between
Australia and China?
I know there is no misunderstanding between our two countries.
People may think, however, that as long as there is the Sino-
Japanese War, the conditions in China may not be settled; and
because of that they hold the view that a Minister to China should
be postponed. My dear Prime Minister, I personally think that
because of the Sino-Japanese War the exchange of diplomatic
representations between our two countries is more urgent than
ever. Whatever the outcome of the physical struggle between China
and Japan may be, China will not vanish, not only because her
power of resistance is increasing every day, but also because of
the fact that she is a civilization. I personally think that there
is no victory of any war in the real sense, and the result of the
Sino-Japanese War will be that Japan will have to abandon her
policy of aggressive activities due to the pressure of her own
internal as well as external difficulties, and that my country
will be so developed that she will be capable not only to guard
her own national independence but will also be able to shoulder
the responsibility of maintaining peace in the Pacific with her
sister nations. It is at this time that the exchange of diplomatic
representations between this great country, whose purpose is to
achieve peace in the Pacific, with China, whose national aim is
similar to that of yours, is most urgent. The appointment of a
Minister to Tokio without considering simultaneously one to
Chungking may enhance difficulties, if not jeopardise
international relations and status, to China, in view of the
present international situation. There may be some difficulties
connected with the appointment of an Australian Minister to
Chungking, but the urgency and necessity of such a move are so
intense and great that those difficulties can be easily overcome.
Please excuse me for taking this liberty to present this view to
you in such a personal way. Since we understand each other well
and because of the fact that it is of mutual benefit of our two
countries, I have not hesitated to ask your advice in this
connection. The appointment of an Australian Minister to Chungking
simultaneously with that of one to Tokio would help to clear
matters and maintain the balance of power which is indispensable
to peace with justice. I know my Government and my people will
give every facility for such an undertaking.
With my best regards and hoping to hear from you.
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[ANL: MS 1009, 61/6] [1]
1 On 10 January 1940 Pao forwarded a copy of this letter to Sir
John Latham, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, with a
covering letter (on the file here cited) requesting Latham to ‘say
a word or two to Mr. Menzies in regard to that matter’.
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[C. J. PAO)
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