Assembly 246.

TRUSTEESHIP. Your UNY.404. [1]

1. Your instruction counter-attack. The best opportunity will be
opening of the Second Reading of Australian Agreement this week.

2. The First Reading, despite strong and detailed exposition of
principles of our agreement and Australian policy towards
dependent peoples showed that it would be difficult to line up
necessary majorities in Sub-Committee and Assembly for the present
text unless a more favourable psychological reception could be
ensured. Apart from Asiatic attack on migration and Soviet on
defence [2] (on which there can be no compromise) the main
criticism of the Australian text is based not on constitutional
grounds but on the fact that it does not contain assurances
concerning the promotion of the welfare and advancement of the
people of New Guinea. We have made a convincing case that the
draft satisfies the Charter but those who are concerned to attack
it are greatly assisted by the general public opinion that a trust
agreement should contain a Bill of Rights spelling out charter
provisions.

3. The past week's experience convinces us that the best chance of
present text being accepted without modification would be the
publication by Government of important declaration of legislative
and administrative policy for New Guinea. This, as nothing else,
would bring home to the general public and to Assembly delegations
the progressive and advanced character of our policy in New
Guinea.

4. I suggest that as Chairman of the Delegation I be authorised to
make at the outset of the second reading in the name of the
government and entirely separated from the agreement such a
declaration of policy, the implementation of which would be
carried out in consultation with the Trusteeship Council. Such a
statement could be used at almost every turn in debate. We would
propose that it be incorporated in full in the rapporteur's report
and in the report of the Fourth Committee to Assembly. A suggested
draft of such a declaration follows in a separate telegram. [3]

5. Simultaneous release in Australia and here would be most
effective arrangement.

6. This course might well enable us while preserving the present
draft as a constitutional document to satisfy the strong desire of
several delegations, including those like Netherlands and Mexico
which hold the balance in sub-committees between mandatory and
[c]ritical powers, for guarantees concerning native rights and
welfare. The counter-attack would also change the psychological
atmosphere and would be in accordance with the principle of
respect for international opinion in colonial matters which
Australia has urged at San Francisco and elsewhere.

7. Glad of urgent advice. [4]