847.796/6–2244
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
The Australian Minister came in to introduce Mr. McVey, the present head of Australian aviation production, and who has recently been entrusted with the aviation affairs of the Australian Government. Mr. McVey was interested in knowing our general ideas about the aviation picture. I referred to the fact that there was extended an invitation to have conversations with the Australian Government. The Australian Minister said he did not think there was a great deal to discuss at the present moment and then he and Mr. McVey asked a good many questions about the possibility of an international organization. I gave them the familiar arguments against it, and our tentative point of view, namely that international organization was possible in respect of technical matters such as safety standards, navigation aids, etc.; but that it could only be a fact-finding and advisory body in respect of economic matters, since this Government, and I judged a number of others, would insist on complete maintenance of their sovereign rights.
The Minister gave the familiar arguments in favor of the Australian thesis, that international control was essential if aviation industries were not to become tremendously nationalistic and extremely dangerous. I told him I thought that was more in the security field than in the direct aviation field.