Repeated to Mr R. G. Menzies, Prime Minister
Cablegram 1.579/24 TOKYO, 15 August 1940, 6.15 p.m.
Received 15 August 1940
IMMEDIATE SECRET
My telegram No. 1568. [1]
1. Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs [2] sent for Japanese Counsellor [3] this afternoon and informed him orally that the Emperor had signified to him his willingness for the exchange of diplomatic consultations [4] with Australia and that he would be pleased to receive Sir John Latham. [5] Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs added that the Japanese Government were much gratified at the nomination of so eminent a person as the first Minister.
2. The Japanese Consul-General, Sydney [6], has been informed.
3. It was agreed that publication should be emitted pending mutual arrangement as to the time.
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1 Document 72.
2 Masayuki Tani.
3 J. L. Dodds, Japanese Counsellor at the U.K. Embassy in Tokyo.
4 This word was annotated ‘representatives(?)’.
5 Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia.
6 Masatoshi Akiyama.
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[AA:A981, AUSTRALIA 180, i]