740.0011 Pacific War/1293
The Australian Minister (Casey) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honour to convey to you the following message which I have received from the Australian Minister for External Affairs:
“I desire to express the Commonwealth Government’s profound appreciation of the initiative[,] courage and patience displayed by the President of the United States and the Secretary of State in their endeavour to prevent war in the Pacific and in their objective of outlawing force as the instrument of national policy.
For the time being the attempt to maintain Pacific peace on the basis of law and justice has been checked by the sudden and treacherous attack of the Japanese forces while diplomatic negotiations were actually proceeding.
The Commonwealth Government is honoured to be associated with the United States in resisting the aggressors until they are finally overthrown and until the principles for which the President has so frequently declared are established not only in the Pacific but everywhere in the world.”70
I have [etc.]
- In a communication dated December 18 to the Australian Minister, the Secretary of State requested that his “sincere thanks” be conveyed to Mr. Evatt for the message of December 11.↩