For Dixon.

Your telegram 134 [1], Post-War Civil Aviation.

We had already been informed [2] of this development and have
replied to London in terms of my immediately following telegram,
which has also been repeated to Canada, South Africa and New
Zealand. [3]

2. The situation will not be clarified until we hear again from
London, but in the meantime it is desired that you represent
informally to the State Department that Australian Government has
learnt with considerable surprise of the intention of the United
States Government to exclude it and the other Dominions from the
proposed talks on civil aviation to which Canada has been invited
to be a party.

3. You should make it clear to the State Department that the
Australian Government feels strongly on this matter not only
because of its well-known close concern over the question of post-
war civil aviation since discussions on this subject began, but
also because within a very recent period the United States
Government has been acquainted with the considered views of the
Australian and New Zealand Governments on post-war civil aviation
as expressed in the Australian - New Zealand Agreement of January
21st last. [4] You should add that the Australian Government
learns that the proposed discussions would take place on the high
policy level and would therefore be quite unable to understand
exclusion from the discussions of the only two governments which
up to this stage have publicly stated the broad principles which
they support on this subject.

4. We also note leakage concerning discussions evidenced by
reports appearing in press on 7th March that 'Australia is likely
to be left out of preliminary post-war international aviation
discussions to be held in Washington late in March'. This should
also be brought to the attention of the State Department.