Cablegram 229 LONDON, 11 January 1946, 9.30 p.m.
TOP SECRET MOST IMMEDIATE
Your 47. [1] We have strongly Supported the view from the outset that both Australia and Canada were entitled to membership of the council but difficulties were created at Commonwealth meetings by the statement of the United Kingdom that it would be politically impossible to get two dominions on the Security Council and that in consequence their vote would go to Canada.
2. We have not caused any dispute between Canada and Australia.
The question has not been mentioned outside secret Commonwealth meetings referred to nor appeared in the press. Our relations are more than satisfactory and we are voting for each other. Similarly South Africa, New Zealand and India are voting for both dominions.
Canadian delegate and I are agreed that both our claims on the grounds of principle are unassailable and that public opinion in both countries would resent it if both did not nominate.
3. Following your telegram and conversation with Hasluck I have clearly put the position to the Commonwealth group where there is no misunderstanding except that the United Kingdom, though very sympathetic to our claims, has not yet given a definite assurance they will vote for both.
4. You will appreciate the fact, however deplorable that big five with their groupings as at San Francisco have been exchanging tickets from the outset and in this respect I gather that these powers have agreed that one country in the near east must get a vote to represent 100,000,000 Moslems and secondly only one dominion can expect to be elected.
5. I am keeping in close consultation with Fraser who thinks it would be most unwise to make any [2] are Governments and we have made it very clear to press and to all delegations how we stand.
6. Today all items on the agenda up to N[o.] 11 election of Security Council were cleared before 5.30 p.m. and had it not been tacitly agreed beforehand that the elections would be postponed till Saturday morning they would have been held today. in consequence it is impossible to ask for another postponement. Both Fraser and I explored this possibility at the Commonwealth meeting this morning before your conversation. Your messages have all be[en] delivered mostly by hand with personal supplementary comments and your own good wishes conveyed. I can only assure you that the whole of the delegation and myself have worked and are working unremittingly at this vital task on a dignified level and with clean hands.
_
1 Document 21.
2 The words ‘Portion mutilated’ are inserted here.
_
[AA:A1838 T189, 854/4/21]