Reference Dominions Office telegram No. 442. [1] Point raised is
one I anticipated Prime Minister would have put to Evatt [2] in
their final conversation last Friday but in fact it was not. My
reason for this anticipation was that I knew Fraser [3] had cabled
when I took over from Page [4] indicating that he did not want
Jordan [5] to attend War Cabinet meetings but Australian High
Commissioner doing so placed him in some difficulty-this most
secret. Trouble was got over but Attlee [6] saw me yesterday
suggested matter might be revived on announcement of my
appointment as Accredited Representative and asked if I thought
you would mind Prime Minister suggesting it should be made clear
that I was shedding for the time being my routine functions as
High Commissioner. I told him I quite understood their difficulty,
that I was sure you would and that I saw no objection to Prime
Minister cabling. Hence Dominions Office telegram No. 442.

Apart from United Kingdom's embarrassment it will be necessary for
me in order to devote the required time to my duties as Accredited
Representative to leave many of the matters I have been handling
to Duncan. [7] Foreseeing this I raised with Evatt the
desirability of Duncan being appointed Deputy High Commissioner in
order to improve his status and position in carrying out the work
that would fall to him. As Prime Minister did not raise the
question of my position as High Commissioner we decided to let the
matter rest, at all events till Evatt got back to Australia. Now
however that matter has been raised I think it would be desirable
at the same time as any public statement is made that I am giving
up part of my duties as High Commissioner it should be announced
that these duties will be discharged by Duncan who has been
appointed Deputy High Commissioner.

I have repeated this cable and Dominions Office telegram No. 442
to Evatt. [8]

BRUCE