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Historical documents

263 Evatt to Bruce

Cablegram 169 [1] CANBERRA, 31 August 1944

IMMEDIATE PERSONAL TO BRUCE FROM EVATT SECRET

Please see our 207 to Dominions Office on Civil Aviation. [2] My
personal view is that this conference should take advantage of the
occasion to discuss our general policy in international civil
aviation as laid down in the Australia - New Zealand Agreement.

[3] The recent United States attitude to the British Air Service
to South America [4] illustrates the necessity of either
(1) Maximum international control of trunk routes, or
alternatively
(2) British Commonwealth Government routes.

The objective should be to bring the United States into an
international conference as early as possible so that a halt can
be called to the United States inclination to favour arrangements
which differ in no great respect from pre-war procedure which was
the antithesis of international collaboration in the interests of
all.

1 Sent through the External Affairs Officer in London.

2 Document 259.

3 Document 26.

4 In cablegram D1086, dispatched 1 August (on file AA:A5954, box
658), Cranborne reported that the U.S. Govt had asked for
disproportionate concessions on U.K. routes in return for approval
of a U.K. service to South America.


[AA:A989, 44/735/832/12]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
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