439 Mr John Curtin, Prime Minister, to Sir Earle Page, Special Representative in the United Kingdom
Cablegram 48 CANBERRA, 24 March 1942, 9.25 p.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE MOST SECRET
1. The first five paragraphs of your P. 74 [1] miss the point of my No. 47 [2] which was as follows:
(a) Paragraph 2 shows that according to your P. 64 [3] the suggestion for the retention of the 9th Division originated from the President. [4]
(b) Paragraph 3 shows that according to Dominions Office No. 311 [5] the President's message agreed to the proposal that had been put to him.
(c) Paragraph 4 draws your attention to this difference and indicates in view of the decisions already taken by the Australian Government that the disposition of the A.I.F. is not a matter for bilateral discussion between the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom [6] and the President. It is one for the Pacific Council.
This is an illustration of our viewpoint on a Pacific Council in Washington where we would have a direct contact with the President. As indicated in my No. 47 no decision has been reached, the matter having been referred to Evatt [7] for discussion with the President.
2. I do not understand your references to Churchill and concealment of his discussion with the President. No one made any such suggestion. [8]
CURTIN