Your D.240, 241. [1]

Australian Government reserved its reply on your telegram D.1102
of 14th December [2] on this matter pending Australian - New
Zealand Conference. Views arrived at during the Conference were
communicated to you in my telegram No. 22 of 25th January [3],
which stated that the Australian and New Zealand Governments
regarded it as a matter of cardinal importance that they should
both be associated in the initial stages with the elaboration of
any international general security system.

2. Therefore Australian Government objects to the procedure
outlined in your D.240 as it means that the proposed talks in
Washington would be on the basis of a preliminary exchange of
views between the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet
Governments only. On this point, our opinion is that the small
Powers contributed as much as the greater Powers to the League of
Nations and that it is out of place to commence a new world
organisation in the way now proposed.

3. Australian Government would also feel it preferable that you
did not discuss these matters in Washington until Australia and
New Zealand have had opportunity to take part in the preliminary
exchange of views.

4. This is one of the most important of recent occasions on which
the Australian Government has felt bound to request a degree of
participation in governmental discussions commensurate with
Australia's substantial contribution to the common war effort, and
we feel that the adoption of a definite line by you, as in case of
civil aviation talks [4], would greatly help to support that
status.