Cablegram 657 [1] WASHINGTON, 18 July 1944, 7.33 p.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
Your 1050. [2]
I saw Hull and requested him to take appropriate action with a
view to seeing that the delegates at the Monetary Conference
should not be asked to sign a resolution recommending the plan
formulated or to sign any other document. I gave grounds in
accordance with your telegram and left with him a memorandum [3]
based upon it. Hull in reply said that he had adopted in this and
other conferences the method of assembling experts and other
delegates on a lower level than the ministerial with a view of
examining the more technical or detailed aspects of the matters to
be considered and if possible agreeing upon them. In this way he
was proceeding in the conferences upon security now to take place
between United States of America, United Kingdom and the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America, the
United Kingdom and China. These would not be attended by Foreign
Secretaries or Ministers of Foreign Affairs, but by under
secretaries. The governments would not be bound by the
proceedings; but they would go into all the details and
ramifications and attempt to present a combined result. He
understood the difficulty and he would transmit the memorandum to
the United States delegation and inform them of the view of the
Australian Government. Although it was not a matter for him but
for the Australian Government to decide he ventured to suggest
that perhaps the Government might feel itself sufficiently
protected if the Australian delegation were instructed to present
the particular point of view and make it clear at the Conference,
particularly as at this stage the main questions had been already
decided.
[AA:A989, 44/735/56/10, i]