For the Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs.

Sumner Welles' interview continued. [1]

I pointed out to him that there was a possibility that stringent
economic action might bring Japanese retaliation by force of arms
on British or Australian or Dutch territories and not on American,
and enquired if it would be possible for the immediate
implementation of the naval arrangements of which you know under
which American warships should take over some of the
responsibilities of the British Navy in the Atlantic and thus
enable substantial force of British capital ships etc. to go to
Singapore. [2] Sumner Welles said this was a matter for the United
States Navy Office in the first place. I am in consequence seeing
the Secretary of Navy [3] tomorrow July 25th and am working in
line with the British Embassy and the British Naval Staff here in
this regard.

CASEY