Your Secret and Personal telegram of 24th June. [1] Since you make
no mention of my Personal and Most Secret telegram to your
predecessor dated 20th March, 1939 [2], it is possible that you
have not seen it.

The relevant passages are as follows:

'In the event of war with Germany and Italy, should Japan join in
against us it would still be His Majesty's Government's full
intention to despatch a fleet to Singapore. If we were fighting
against such a combination never envisaged in our earlier plans,
the size of that fleet would necessarily be dependent on (a) the
moment when Japan entered the war and (b) what losses if any our
opponents or ourselves had previously sustained.

It would, however, be our intention to achieve three main
objects:-

(i) The prevention of any major operation against Australia, New
Zealand or India;

(ii) To keep open our sea communications;

(iii) To prevent the fall of Singapore.'
The above assurance holds good, and, I hope, provides the
necessary basis for Australian Defence policy referred to in the
second paragraph of your telegram of the 24th June.

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN