Your telegram No. 140. [1]

NEW CALEDONIA. This evening I saw Morton [2] (personal assistant
to Mr. Churchill) who has been handling matter personally and Dawe
assistant under-Secretary Colonial Office and put points contained
in your telegram under reference.

With a view to clarifying for you what United Kingdom Government
have in mind they made the following comments:-

(a) 'Paragraphs 1 and 2 of telegram from Secretary of State for
Dominion Affairs dated September 6th [3] are based on actual
telegrams sent from New Caledonia of which United Kingdom
Government have obtained possession.'
(b) 'Re nickel, United Kingdom authorities appreciate that
agreement has been signed, but point they make is that Governor of
New Caledonia [4] has reported to Vichy in sense of paragraph 2,
which indicates alarm at situation.'
(c) 'On position generally they referred to "great and growing
basis of pro-de Gaulle [5] feeling in other territories, whole of
French Equatorial Africa, Cameroons and French Congo, New Hebrides
and Tahiti, have ranged themselves on his side. We confidently
expect Guiana and at least parts of French West Africa shortly to
follow suit. There are also at the same time signs of growing
similar movement in Antilles, North Africa and Syria."'
(d) 'Possible reactions of Japan. Their view is as follows: "There
is a growing dispute between Japanese and Vichy Governments over
Indo-China. If New Caledonia remains pro-Vichy there seems greater
likelihood of Japanese intervention than if it openly renounces
Vichy control."'
(e) 'Finally they ask you to refer to telegram of September 7th
from High Commissioner for Western Pacific addressed to Prime
Minister [6] showing complete change of view from that which he
had previously expressed giving his reasons, and advocating
immediate action.'

STIRLING