Cablegram 206 CANBERRA, 14 May 1946
IMMEDIATE
Your Circular D No.452. [1]
1. We agree fully with you that it is unwise to be drawn into any commitment on the general principles of a future trade charter ahead of detailed tariff negotiations. We think therefore that:-
(a) Discussion at the First Meeting of the Preparatory Committee should be confined to a general exchange of views and the connection of the I.T.O. with the other machinery of the United Nations.
(b) It should be made clear to the United States and to the Preparatory Committee that no commitment on the proposed charter can be accepted without knowledge of the outcome of the tariff negotiations.
2.Regarding paragraph 4, we could not agree to enlisting support for the United States proposals in their present form prior to their substantial modification. [2] Otherwise, we concur in the lines of your proposed reply to the United States with the proviso that we desire the proposed meeting of the Preparatory Committee to be held as late in the year as possible.
3. We prefer to await the return of the Prime Minister at the end of the week before agreeing upon a date for the first British Commonwealth Meeting.
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1 Document 239.
2 The U.K. reply was altered accordingly to read: ‘enlisting support of the principle of a world-wide reduction of trade barriers’.
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[AA:A1067, ER46/1/2]