Since our telephone conversation [1] I have exhaustively discussed
with the First Lord of the Admiralty [2] the question of a capital
ship in Eastern waters and have put forward a formal request that
the British Government should give to Australia a private
undertaking that as soon as the King George class begins to come
to hand a capital ship will be allocated to Eastern waters and
should be available for and should spend a reasonable amount of
time in Australian waters.

Present position is that the matter is now under consideration at
the Admiralty and the First Lord has promised a reply within the
next few days. [3]

BRUCE