740.0011 Pacific War/1508: Telegram
The Consul General at Wellington ( Cox ) to the Secretary of State
Prime Minister Fraser has just told me that the position of New Zealand in the Pacific war is a source of great anxiety. He has already communicated with Prime Minister Churchill on the matter and assumes that his representations2 have been laid before the President. He continued that he would appreciate any reports from me which would aid the United States in understanding this country’s position. It was possible the Japanese would by-pass New Zealand, but on the other hand he felt that if they succeeded in progressing south an attack on New Zealand could be considered as probable. He reasoned that it would be a feather in the Japanese cap to seize a part of the British Empire which was peopled with the white race and whose defense was slight. The Dominion would also provide a jumping off place for an attack on Australia.
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