Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

328 United States Embassy to Department of External Affairs

Note CANBERRA, 19 December 1946

The Embassy of the United States of America at Canberra presents its compliments to the Department of External Affairs and has the honor to refer to previous conversations in connection with the use of funds for cultural purposes arising from the Australian - United States Lend Lease Agreement of June 7, 1946. [1] The following information has just been received from Washington. [2]

The possible use of the above funds has been informally discussed by the Department of State with the Australian Ambassador, laying stress on the tentative and exploratory nature of the conversations until an executive agreement is drafted, but formal action has been withheld, pending the settlement (a) of certain legal questions and (b) of the basic draft pattern of such an agreement that would be satisfactory to numerous interested divisions of the Department.

The Department's informal discussions have had to do with American students to study in Australia; an American professor for research in Australia; endowment of an American Chair at Canberra; a grant to the Roosevelt Wing [3]; American concerts and exhibits, and payment of ship fares of Australian students going to the United States.

Immediately that more information is received on this subject it will be communicated by the Embassy to the Department of External Affairs.

1 Volume IX, Document 294.

2 In a letter to the U.S. Embassy in Canberra on 4 December, Dunk had noted that time for dealing with the fund for cultural relations was limited, and had requested 'some general lead on the types of expenditure which your administration considers could rightly fall within the terms of the settlement and also any priorities which may be attached to any particular classes of expenditure'.

3 In 1945 it had been decided that a wing of the National Library to be built in Canberra should be dedicated to Roosevelt and devoted to material illustrating the development of American civilization.

[AA:A1067, A46/2/4/10]

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