Message [LONDON], 21 June 1944

TOP SECRET

1. You will remember that when you were here I mentioned to you
our defence interest in uranium and gave you an aide-memoire [1]
in which I suggested that certain steps should be taken at once to
ascertain whether there are substantial deposits at depth in the
neighbourhood of the secondary deposits which are known to exist
in Australia.

2. I should be most grateful if you could let me know as soon as
possible what progress it has been possible to make on the
suggestions contained in the aide-memoire, and particularly
whether there is any way in which we could provide any assistance
from here. I assume that you will be able without difficulty to
find in Australia a suitable mining development company with a
personnel fully competent for the work proposed, but if we can
assist in this or any other way please do not hesitate to let me
know.

3. I understand that the Commonwealth Government took steps a
short time ago to vest full control of all uranium ores in
Australia in itself. I should be grateful if you would let me know
exactly what the position is in this respect and whether you are
satisfied that the arrangements made are adequate to ensure that
material cannot fall into undesirable hands.

4. I have little doubt but that His Majesty's Government in the
United Kingdom will wish to ask you to arrange for all uranium
concentrates produced in Australia to be sold to them for the
defence purposes of which you are aware. Indeed, I am ready
whenever you wish to consider with you the nature of the
arrangements which might suitably be made for this purpose.

5. We are interested for similar reasons in thorium. This is a
component of monazite sand which is found in many parts of the
coasts of Australia, particularly Southern Queensland, the
northern coast of New South Wales, and near Copley in the southern
part of Western Australia. [2] It is doubtful whether the deposits
are rich although it is believed that a number of tons of monazite
have been produced in recent years.

6. Whilst it is not at present proposed to acquire supplies of
monazite for its thorium content it is important that it should
not be allowed to fall into undesirable hands. I should therefore
be grateful if you would let me know whether you think that steps
could be taken either to control concessions to work these
deposits or to regulate the export so that no undesirable
destination could be fed even in small quantities. In choosing
which method of control to follow it would of course be necessary
to have regard to the desirability of taking this action as
unobtrusively as possible.