Trusteeship. Your 873. [1]

1. The Minister desires Eggleston and Bailey to consider the draft
of the trusteeship agreement [2] and forward their views as to the
form and necessary contents. The Minister's view is that the
document should be as short as possible and expressed in general
terms. Important thing is to bring some territories under the
United Nations trusteeship and get the system started. Objectives
and obligations are laid down in the charter and there is no need
to repeat the charter objectives in the agreement. Details such as
those suggested by the United States and those in the United
Kingdom and New Zealand drafts seem more appropriate for
subsequent discussions year by year between the trustee state
[and] trusteeship council.

2. As to the states directly concerned the Minister adheres to his
view as expressed in telegram No.23 [3] to the Dominions Office
repeated to New Zealand No. 13. He also approves of the American
view as stated in D.567 that as means of arriving at document
suitable for submission to the Assembly consultation is to be
preferred to negotiation and possible [4] of the states directly
concerned or to formal agreement and signature. No commitment as
to what states are 'directly concerned' is necessary. The
procedure of consultation should satisfy both those who feel they
have a claim to be the states directly concerned and those other-
wise interested.

3. These views will be conveyed informally to the State Department
and have been given informally to the New Zealand Minister in
Washington.

4. The Minister wishes New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the
United States to be the states consulted by us but the matter
should be cleared first with New Zealand.

5. Reply to New Zealand should be that we will gladly consult New
Zealand as to the terms of our draft when formulated and would
appreciate being taken into consultation on the[ir] draft.

Substance of the foregoing should be conveyed officially to New
Zealand.