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  4. Document 21

811.24590/5–246

The First Secretary of the British Embassy ( Maclean ) to the Deputy Director of the Office of European Affairs ( Hickerson )

top secret
Washington , 2 May 1946.

Dear Jack: As agreed at our conversation this morning I send you herewith, for your personal information, the text of the formula about Pacific Bases which Paul Mason43 handed to Doc Matthews44 in Paris on the 1st May.

Mason made an explanatory statement to Doc who said he would refer the matter to Mr. Byrnes. Mr. Bevin hopes to discuss it with Mr. Byrnes at an early opportunity.

As our approach was made in Paris and as further discussion is to take place there you were kind enough to agree to regard our conversation this morning as entirely informal.

Yours ever,

D. D. Maclean
[Enclosure]

Bases

Pacific

Formula agreed at 5th Meeting of Prime Ministers on 26th April, 1946

During the present consultations in London the Governments of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, having taken into consideration certain United States proposals for the future status and use of bases in the Pacific, have agreed:

(1)
to favour the establishment of a regional arrangement or regional arrangements for the maintenance by the parties thereto of international peace and security in the South Pacific and South West Pacific areas;
(2)
to invite the participation in such arrangements of the United States;
(3)
to consider as a part of any such arrangements, the future administration and use of Pacific bases, including the defence bases established in whole or in part by the United States during the war in territory in the Pacific area administered wholly or in part by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

The Governments of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand accept the principle that all such regional arrangements in the [Page 38] Pacific must be consistent with the Principles and Purposes of the United Nations and made in accordance with Article 52 of the United Nations Charter.

As a first step it would be advantageous if the United States Secretary of State could join in the consultations now being held in London, with a view to a subsequent conference between the United States Government and the British Commonwealth Governments concerned which the Australian Government would be glad to convene at Canberra.

  1. Head of United Nations Department, British Foreign Office. He was with Mr. Bevin at the Council of Foreign Ministers at Paris.↩
  2. H. Freeman Matthews, Director of the Office of European Affairs and U.S. Political Adviser at the Council of Foreign Ministers, Paris.↩