Cablegram Johcu 12 CANBERRA, 30 December 1941
MOST IMMEDIATE MOST SECRET AND PERSONAL
Reference Winch 12. [1]
Your reference to agreement with Russia quite misinterprets our 819. [2] I stated that it was desirable to conduct exchanges with Stalin on broadest lines to avoid danger that he would suppose we would necessarily block his desire to adjustment of frontier claims. Obviously such adjustments would have to take into account principle that so far as practicable the peoples concerned would have right to choose their own Government.
Consequently there is no occasion to quote Atlantic Charter which need not be infringed especially as Russia has adhered to Charter.
CURTIN
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1 Document 231.
2 Document 212.
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[AA:A3196, 1941, 0.22933]