Cablegram 1 CANBERRA, 1 January 1942
MOST IMMEDIATE MOST SECRET
Your 1242. [1]
1. We agree with amendments to text as proposed by Russia. In certain respects they improve draft declaration. Above all they secure adherence of Russia.
2. Our view is that proposal inclusion of India is questionable because status of that country is not yet that of a self-governing nation.
3. Alphabetical order of all signatories is preferable and we hope that you will succeed in obtaining it.
4. In any event British Dominions should adhere separately and should not be included in form of ‘inset grouping’ which characterised adherence of Dominions and India to Treaty of Versailles.
5. If, contrary to our views, proposal of alphabetical order of all parties is rejected, alphabetical order of all parties except those in first four should be strongly urged.
6. I presume that representatives some other Dominions share our views on form of adherence. You will consult with them at all stages. 7. In any event, whether agreement is in Governmental or Heads of State form, it is absolutely essential that we should concur. Therefore you will be invested with full authority to sign declaration on behalf of Commonwealth Government or His Majesty in respect of the Commonwealth, according to form ultimately adopted.
8. In anticipation of event of Heads of State form of agreement we are in touch with Dominions Office. Bruce [2] has been instructed to obtain separate King’s Full Power in relation to Australia His Majesty acting on Mr Curtin’s [3] advice. You will be telegraphed en clair from London. [4] 9. We are sending copies of this message to the Prime Ministers Canada, South Africa, New Zealand [5] as an expression of our opinion as to form of adherence. Please show it also to their representatives in Washington.
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[AA:A1608, N41/1/1]
1 Dispatched 30 December. On file AA:A3300, 102. It reported that in order to secure the adherence of the U.S.S.R. the text of the proposed Allied joint declaration was to be amended as follows: in the second paragraph ‘in their own lands as well as in other lands’ would replace ‘not only in their own lands but everywhere’;
the paragraph numbered (2) would read ‘Each Government pledges itself to co-operate with other governments signatory hereto and not to make a separate armistice or peace with the enemies’; the last line of the declaration would read ‘rendering material assistance and contributions in the struggle for victory over Hitlerism’. The cablegram also reported that the U.K. Govt wished to include India in the list of signatories and that President Roosevelt wished to include the U.S.S.R. and China in the list of great powers set out ahead of the alphabetical list of other signatories.
2 High Commissioner in the United Kingdom. See cablegram 17 of 1 January on the file cited in note 1. The cablegram here published was repeated to Bruce as no. 18.
3 Prime Minister.
4 See Bruce’s cablegram 3A of 2 January on file AA:M100,January 1942. Casey reported on 2 January (see cablegram 13 on the file cited in note 1) that he had signed the declaration on behalf of the Commonwealth Govt the previous day.
5 Each cablegram was numbered 1 and dispatched on 1 January.
6 Inserted from the draft copy on the file cited in note 1.
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[EVATT] [6]