Your 199. [1] U.N.R.R.A. Council.

1. It is desired that Brigden should lead the Australian
Delegation which must be selected from personnel available in
Washington. If possible Garside should attend. Please inform
U.N.R.R.A. Headquarters accordingly. [2]

2. The reservation concerning our further contribution concerns
supplies, not the ten per cent of free exchange the bulk of which
we hope will be spent in Australia. We are not making a fixed
money contribution of 12 m. as before but will offer U.N.R.R.A.

broad categories of supplies from which they will select items
required. Priority will be given to surplus stocks. The total
amount of our second contribution will be governed by the
available volume of supplies which are of use to U.N.R.R.A. We
have just offered them upwards of 7 m. of surplus stocks and 4
m. of wool.

3. It is not intended that the arrangement should be too rigid. It
will still be open to U.N.R.R.A. to request any items urgently
required pending agreement on the programme for the further
contribution and the Commonwealth will assume financial
responsibility for any such requests to supply which are accepted.

4. The main reason for changing the form of the new contribution
is past experience in dealing with U.N.R.R.A. In order that the
money available should go as far as possible their representatives
have continually haggled over prices declining to take the kind of
supplies we have easily available and pressing for other items
which are difficult to supply. Undue delay in replying to firm
orders often lead[s] to subsequent misunderstanding. U.N.R.R.A.'s
overall programmes often seem ill related to current availability
in Australia. We hope the new approach will overcome these
difficulties.

5. We shall advise you later of our views on the allocation of
food exports.