I have the honour to advise you that I presented my credentials to
General de Gaulle [1] this morning.

[matter omitted]

4. ... General de Gaulle said that he was very happy to receive
the diplomatic representative of Australia and that he hoped my
stay in France would be both agreeable and useful to me. He asked
me to accept his assurance that he and his government were always
to be counted on to assist us in any way possible, and that they
would be pleased to give us any help in their power. He ended with
a few graceful personal remarks.

5. The General spoke only a few sentences in all and I replied
equally briefly. I expressed my gratification at my appointment to
Paris as the first Australian Minister. I went on to say that
there were very considerable mutual interests between France and
Australia and no points of difference. France and Australia had a
long tradition of friendship, cemented by a common comradeship in
arms during two great wars, and my objective was to maintain and
extend, in a true spirit of co-operation, the happy relations
which existed. I assured the General that he could count upon me
to do everything in my power in turn to see that the cordial
nature of our relations was if anything enhanced.

[matter omitted]

7. I found General de Gaulle a more impressive figure than I had
expected from the various photographs I had seen and reports I had
read, and I thought that his demeanour during the ceremony showed
both assurance and consideration. By his own orders set speeches
have been eliminated on these occasions and ordinary clothes are
worn, in consonance with the spirit of austerity he is
endeavouring to inculcate in France. Nevertheless, the combination
of the picturesque Republican Guard, the military honours and
informal friendliness left an impression of great dignity and
propriety.

8. Our mission here is now officially in being, and I think it
fitting to report that there is a gratifying degree of goodwill
towards us on the part of the French government and of French
officials. On the whole I feel that the Australian Legation is
established under good auspices, which are already reflected in
the happy relationship between our respective delegations to the
Preparatory Commission.