Cablegram 213 CANBERRA, 6 September 1945
TOP SECRET
Repeated attempts made thoughout war have failed to obtain for Australia information on research in progress in England and America on utilization of atomic energy.
This development is of very considerable importance both in regard to its wartime application and its peacetime possibility as a source of power.
We anticipate that the United Kingdom Government is already planning the further developments of both these aspects and request that you initiate discussions with a view to ascertaining the United Kingdom Government’s attitude towards releasing information to the Dominions.
In view the importance of this matter to British Commonwealth my Government would appreciate an opportunity of contributing to the research and suggests that arrangements might be made for the conduct of this work on a British Commonwealth basis.
If the United Kingdom Government is willing to release information to us at this stage, request you endeavour to ascertain if Professor H. S. W. Massey [1] or Professor M. L. Oliphant [2] would be permitted to come to Australia to communicate this information.
_1 Technical Officer, U.K. Scientific and Industrial Research Department mission to the University of California at Berkeley.
2 Professor of Physics, University of Birmingham, seconded to the Manhattan Project.
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[AA : A3196, 1945, FOLDER, OUTWARDS MOST SECRET, O.23315]