Cablegram 972 CANBERRA, 19 February 1946
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
Your 1134. [1] There has been delay in communicating as your telegram was received 19th February p.m. It is most unwise for Australian representatives to take part or be present at any such discussions and I must express surprise and concern that this has been done without our prior approval. If there is claim of sovereignty, it should be made openly before the permanent court and resisted openly. My own conviction is that claim is stale and not genuine and is made solely for the purpose of bargaining. I hope the United Kingdom and New Zealand will resist it and refuse to discuss it further, at least in the way they are suggesting.
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1 Dispatched is February, it reported that Australian officials (Hodgson, Rourke and Bailey) had been observers at United Kingdom - New Zealand discussion of U.S. intentions with respect to Pacific islands controlled by the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
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[AA:A1067, A46/2/3/3]