Cablegram SFC61 SAN FRANCISCO, 18 June 1945, 12.09 a.m.
PERSONAL
The Chilean Government is sending to Australia as Charge d’Affaires a Titre, Manuel Eduardo Hubner who will also be Consul General. He proposes to leave here by A.T.C. within the next few days and proper preparations should be made for his reception. His family are proceeding by sea at a later date.
The Chilean Foreign Minister [1] has made it clear that in his view the original plan whereby Macgregor should divide his time between Rio de Janeiro and Santiago de Chile would not be satisfactory in practice. The loyal support which Chile has given us on many important questions in this Conference, the close personal relations which I have established with the Chileans and the possibility in future of valuable Australian exports of coal and wheat to Chile lead me to believe that Chile may become more important, politically and economically, to Australia than Brazil.
It will therefore ultimately be necessary to appoint a separate Minister to Santiago de Chile. Pending such an appointment Hubner will remain as Charge d’Affaires but the Minister for Foreign Affairs has indicated that as soon as we are in a position to appoint a Minister to Santiago de Chile they propose to give Hubner Ministerial rank.
Under the circumstances it seems undesirable to seek agreement for Macgregor as Minister to Chile. The general question of the establishment of a Mission at Santiago de Chile can remain in abeyance until I return to Australia but I should like your personal reaction after full consideration. [2]
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1 Joaquin Fernandez Fernandez.
2 Makin agreed but felt that the matter should not be delayed too long. See cablegram 132, dispatched 21 June, in AA : A3196, 1945, Folder, Outwards to Australian Delegation San Francisco (and London), O.15922. On 28 December it was announced that J. S.
Duncan was to be appointed Australian Minister to Chile.
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[AA : A3195, 1945, FOLDER, INWARDS FROM AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION SAN FRANCISCO (AND LONDON), I.19885]