338 Evatt to Glasgow

Cablegram 235 CANBERRA, 1 December 1943

MOST SECRET

Your 204 paragraph 2. [1] Canadian Mutual Aid.

1. Circumstances in which United Kingdom-United States of America
Mutual Aid Agreement was signed are very different from those
prevailing to-day.

2. Inclusion in Canadian agreement of proposed article which
suggests tariff commitment would receive wide publicity here and
provoke controversy which would be most embarrassing and which we
must avoid at all costs.

3. You should indicate position frankly to the Prime Minister
stating that Australian Government, while appreciating general
Canadian desire to have reference to Mutual Aid principles, hopes
that present agreement with Canada will be confined solely to
actual provisions for implementing Mutual Aid.

4. Please tell Prime Minister from myself that no one can
appreciate better than he the danger of causing local political
repercussions whenever this can be avoided.

1 Cablegram 204 of 5 November is on file AA:A2671, 380/1943.
Paragraph (2) read:

'(2) As anticipated in paragraph 1 of my telegram 180 [Canadian
Mutual Aid] Board insisted on insertion of article in main body of
agreement along lines of Article 7 of U.S.-U.K. Agreement. Only
substantial difference is omission of the clause referring to "the
elimination of all forms of discriminatory treaty in International
Commerce". I have made it clear at all stages that we take the
strongest exception to the insertion of such an article (paragraph
2 of your telegram 183) and it has been included with full
knowledge of our objections. Canadians point out-
(a) That we have subscribed to the principle of Article 7.

(b) That we are committed to the policy of the Atlantic Charter.

In view of this and of the fact that the U.K., U.S.S.R. and China
have apparently raised no objection to the new article I feel it
is unlikely that I shall be able to secure its deletion but would
be grateful for advice as to what action you wish me to take.'
Glasgow's cablegram 180 of 26 September is on file AA:A989,
43/735/152 and Evatt's cablegram 183 of 30 September is in
FA:A3196, 1943, 0.27018.

[FA:A3196, 1943, FOLDER, OUTWARDS MOST SECRET MASTER SHEETS, 0.33077]

Last Updated: 11 September 2013

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338 Evatt to Glasgow