811.24500/4–946: Telegram
The Chargé in Australia (Minter) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 10—3:13 a.m.]
46. Evatt has asked me to let you know that there is no truth in press reports that Australia resists the idea of US having bases in this area without including the whole British Commonwealth. He wanted you to know that Australia desires to work very closely with the US in developing a regional defense arrangement which would include New Zealand. What they might find difficult would be discussion of individual bases before the whole framework had been developed, their view being that they preferred not to go before Parliament and public with piecemeal proposals or actions. Fraser and Nash30 arriving Canberra tomorrow for talks on this whole subject and Evatt advises he may have some more concrete message for me to send you after the talks.
- Walter Nash, New Zealand Minister of Finance, Customs and Stamp Duties.↩