Cablegram 257 [1] CANBERRA, 3 October 1944
SECRET
Your D.1404. [2]
1. We have replied to American Minister accepting invitation to international air conference in United States on November 1st. [3] In doing so we stated that it was assumed that the agenda would not necessarily be limited to the list of objectives set out in the American Note and that in our view the agenda should be broad enough to allow scope for an exchange of views regarding the future of international civil aviation after the provisional period has elapsed. We stated that in many respects the questions in Item 3 (a) [4] of the United States list of objectives appeared to us to be among the most important matters to be considered at an international air conference at this stage.
2. We agree with the suggestion that British Commonwealth talks be held in Canada on October 23 and have informed Canada of our acceptance of invitation to these talks. [5]
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1 Repeated to the N.Z., Canadian and South African Prime Ministers as nos 214, 21 and 88, respectively.
2 Dispatched 18 September. On file AA:A989, 44/735/832/12. It acknowledged the N.Z. Govt’s proposed reply to the U.S. Govt, and supported a further proposal that Commonwealth talks be held in Canada towards the end of October. See cablegram 232 from the N.Z.
Prime Minister, dispatched 18 September, on the file cited above in this note.
3 See Document 290, note 4. A copy of Evatt’s note, dated 3 October, accepting the invitation is on file AA:A989, 44/735/832/13.
4 i.e. the section recommending a committee to study establishment of routes and services and to revise and recommend future patterns of routes and services.
5 A draft copy of cablegram 20 to Ottawa, dispatched 29 September, is on the file cited in note2. See also AA:A3643, vol. 15, O.26720.
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[AA:A989, 44/735/832/13]