I have your letter of May 22nd. [1] to which you attached a copy
of cablegram No. 27, dated 17th May [2], addressed to the Acting
Prime Minister by Mr. Curtin. For months past I have been
expecting action along the lines recommended in this cablegram,
and I am glad that at last some definite step is to be taken.

Certain secret information [3] has been coming through for some
time about work which British and American physicists are carrying
out on the element uranium, but it has been necessary to guard
this very confidentially and I have maintained close contact only
with my own Minister, Mr. Dedman, about it.

You will, I know, agree that we must take this matter very
seriously and act promptly, and I want to suggest that a small
group of people be asked to consider the whole situation as soon
as possible, and advise whatever Ministry is chiefly concerned. I
take it that, as this is a question of supply, you will be the
authority handling the general issue.

There are two men in South Australia who can be particularly
valuable at this stage. They are Mr. S. B. Dickinson, the Director
of Mines (who is in close touch all the time with his predecessor,
Dr. L. Keith Ward), and Professor Sir Douglas Mawson [4] of the
University. As far as C.S.I.R. is concerned, Dr. Ian Wark [5] and
Mr. R. G. Thomas [6] are the two people who can be most useful in
the coming developments. It goes without saying that Dr. Raggatt
[7] must play a leading part, and I would suggest that these five
gentlemen be invited to confer, as soon as possible, about the
matters set out in Mr. Curtin's cablegram.

Anything I can personally do to facilitate this work will be
undertaken at once. You can rely upon C.S.I.R. to give very high
priority to any problems arising out of the uranium work for which
its staff and laboratories are suitable.

I should much appreciate it if you would keep me fully informed of
the progress of events. [8]