We have learnt with considerable surprise and concern of the
statement issued on behalf of the Australian and New Zealand
Governments at the conclusion of their recent Conference on the
subject of Colonial administration in which they declare their
support for the idea of an international supervisory body with
power to visit dependent territories and publish reports of its
deliberations. [2]

As you will be aware from the discussion of the subject at the
meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in May this year, the
United Kingdom Government held very strongly the view that such
control by a central international body would be most undesirable
and that its establishment would be contrary to the interests both
of the dependent peoples and of parent nations and in particular
of the British Empire. Indeed we understand from what passed at
the meeting on 9th May that Mr. Curtin shared our view (see
minutes of 10th meeting page 5 [3]). Recent proposals of this
character have been ventilated in the United States and in view of
this we were about to address to the Dominion governments a
communication setting out our views in detail as to the future
system of securing international co-operation in relation to
colonial affairs in a form which we had hoped would be acceptable
to Dominion governments and also to the United States Government.

This matter is of vital importance to the United Kingdom having
regard to the immense extent of our colonial responsibilities. In
our view, in a matter of this kind all members of the British
Commonwealth ought to take every care to co-ordinate as far as
possible their respective views before entering on public
declarations of policy. We can only express our regret that this
public announcement has been made on behalf of the Australian and
New Zealand Governments without any prior consultation with or
warning to us. We fear that it may well lead to serious difficulty
and embarrassment in our discussions with the United States
Government and in the future treatment of this question. In view
of what has occurred we fear that it may become necessary for us
to make some public statement indicating our own attitude with
regard to future policy towards colonial territories. This will
necessarily imply, even if it does not directly state, our
inability to accept. the views put forward at the recent
Australian - New Zealand Conference on this matter.