Your 99. [2] In your talks with Maisky [3] you should take the
opportunity of pointing out to him-
(a) Our initiative and persistence contributed largely to the
declaration of war by Britain against Finland, Hungary and
Rumania.

(b) We twice prior to the Japanese war strongly suggested to the
United Kingdom Government an alliance with Russia involving joint
action whether Japan moved north or south [4]; in other words, to
protect Russia as well as ourselves.

(c) Australia and New Zealand have Labour Governments most
sympathetic with Russia and our social systems are more
progressive and our economic systems more egalitarian than any
other country with the possible exception of pre-war Sweden.

(d) Further evidence of this is to be found not only in the items
mentioned in (a) and (b) above but also in the fact that the first
action of this Government when it came into office was to send
rolling stock to Iran, in the active part we took in the Lease-
Lend Agreement and in our ready acceptance of the Soviet
invitation to join in discussion on post-war matters. Also the
attitude we adopted during the Eden [5] visit when Stalin raised
the question of post-war settlement might be pointed out.

2. With these facts in mind it occurs to me that after talking to
Maisky along these lines it may be possible to suggest to him that
a leading Soviet statesman might issue something in the nature of
a warning or threat against any further attacks whatever against
Australia or New Zealand by Japan.

3. If you could bring this off other pending problems might be
easier of settlement.

EVATT