Following for Prime Minister [from Prime Minister] [1]:

1. Your No.245. [2]

I am very much obliged to you for your decision to allow the
Australian 9th Division to remain in Middle East for the present.

All the contents of your telegram are being studied by the Chiefs
of Staff. It is fully understood and was certainly my wish that
United States Forces should go to Australia unconditionally and
you have always been and will be perfectly free to decide the
movement of all your troops.

2. We are, of course, trying to build up as fast as possible a
strong naval force in the Indian Ocean. The very considerable
detachment which the enemy has presumed to make from his main
fleet for the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal makes it
undesirable for us to seek a fleet action for the time being, but
these conditions will change rapidly in the next few months.

VALIANT should join Admiral Somerville [3] in June, ILLUSTRIOUS in
May, and we are planning still larger reinforcements of which I
will inform you soon. Meanwhile, of course, we are anxious both
about Ceylon and Calcutta.