Office of the Historian

890.0146/10–1846

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of British Commonwealth Affairs (Richards)

secret
[Washington,] October 25, 1946.
Participants: Mr. Reid, First Secretary of the New Zealand Legation
Mr. Hickerson, EUR
Mr. Richards, BC

Mr. Reid called at his request to explain the New Zealand position regarding Article X (4) of the revised draft trusteeship agreement for Western Samoa.

Mr. Reid stated that the revised wording represented no change in New Zealand policy as regards future negotiations with the United States and with other members of the British Commonwealth, especially the United Kingdom and Australia, looking toward defense arrangements in the South Pacific. He stated that New Zealand is willing to undertake discussions along such lines at an appropriate time.

Mr. Reid was informed that the revised draft appeared to be acceptable to the Department and that the Army and the Navy would be advised of the changed wording.45

  1. Approval of the new wording was given by the War Department on October 28 and by the Navy Department on October 29 (two memoranda for the files by Mr. Richards dated October 28 and 29, respectively, File Nos. 811.24590/10–2546).

    Final talks between the New Zealand Legation and the Department on the draft trusteeship agreement for Western Samoa took place on October 25 and 28 (memoranda of conversation not printed, File Nos. 890.0146/10–1846 and 890.0146/10–2846, respectively). In the end the main question related to the degree of support on the draft agreement New Zealand could expect from the U.S. Delegation at the General Assembly. Mr. Hiss described the position of the United States as outlined in conversations with representatives of the British Embassy on the same general question, October 11–16 (see memoranda of conversation of even dates, pp. 641–642 and 644–650).

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