Cablegram 12 CANBERRA, 15 January 1945
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Your 363. [1]
We note your agreement of proposal for a joint approach. We agree that preliminary discussions should be held before formal conference. At the same time care should be taken lest other members of the United Nations might feel that our point of view had finally crystallised before the calling of a conference.
2. Our immediately following telegram [2] contains the text of a summary of our proposal which we suggest should be used as the basis of the joint approach to the United States.
3. We agree it is desirable that the Governing Body of the I.L.O.
should be in some tangible way associated with the Conference and perhaps with some of the preparations for the conference. We hope that your representatives on the Governing Body will assist this objective at the meeting on 25th January. At the same time we consider it unwise for the Governing Body to be informed of our proposal before the United States is informed.
4. After the United States Government has signified its attitude we agree that the Russian, French, Chinese and perhaps other Governments should be notified prior to any public announcement.
5. We suggest Monday 22nd January be tentatively fixed as the date of approach to the United States. Meanwhile we agree that Canadian, South African and Indian Governments should be informed that the approach will be made by the United Kingdom, Australian and New Zealand Governments and that we earnestly desire their active support.
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1 Documents on Australian Foreign Policy 1937 49, vol. VII, Document 381.
2 Document 10.
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[AA:A1066, ER45/2/3/2]