14 Chifley to Attlee

I desire to acknowledge your letter[1] intimating the understandings which have been reached between your Government and the U.S.A. regarding future policy in the Middle East. I do not very much favour secret understandings, but in view of all the circumstances it would appear that the approach that has been made to this matter is a realistic one, and in view of the slow working of U.N.O. is about the only thing that could be done to give some sort of security in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.