398.00BA/3–1350: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Australia
47. Reference Embassy’s telegram 72, March 13. Suggested you tell Burton this Government appreciates Australian offer keep U.S. closely informed work Intergovernmental Committee Commonwealth countries scheduled meet Australia mid-May. While assignment officer from Embassy attend meetings informally as observer would be useful from informational point of view, such attendance not essential in view Australian offer keep U.S. informed committee work. Dept moreover feels attendance by U.S. observer even on informal basis might be subject misintepretation by nonparticipants meeting and perhaps by members committee as well. You should add, however, that nonattendance U.S. observer in no way implies lack of interest in or sympathy on our part with the purposes and objectives of the Committee’s work as indicated at the Colombo Conference.