Following from Melville for the Minister for External Affairs and
the Treasurer. Monetary Conference.

1. At the executive plenary session of the Conference yesterday
afternoon after [1] appeals from the United Kingdom and the United
States it was decided unanimously not to include any reservations
with the final act but to record them in the Minutes of the
various Committees. In view of the fact that we were not voting I
did not offer any opposition.

2. In accordance with your instructions [2] I did not vote on the
motion to adopt the report of Commission I(i) on the fund and
asked that a record to this effect be made in the Minutes of the
meeting.

3. I established that the Australian Government had made no
judgement upon the draft proposals [3] but thought that in its
consideration of the report it might be embarrassed if Australian
officials were thought to have publicly approved it.

4. As instructed I stated that I would submit the report of the
Conference to the Government after which the Government would
submit it to Parliament for consideration.

5. The Canadian representative [4] emphasized that it had been
made quite clear that nothing done at this Conference could bind
the Governments.

6. Morgenthau told the Conference from the Chair that the State
Department was explaining carefully to the Australian Government
the completely non-committal nature of the proceedings and the
final act. [5] 7. The motion was then adopted without opposition
or further comment.