In accordance with your instructions I saw Monsieur Bidault today.

He was very pleased to receive your personal message, and asked me
to convey to you his warm greeting.

2. We discussed the lack of progress being made in arranging a
democratic procedure for full participation of all active
belligerents in negotiation [of the Peace]' treaties. M. Bidault
said the French Government was in complete agreement with
Australia on the principle involved, but the difficulty was to
persuade the Soviet to accept any practical arrangements to give
effect to it. He admitted that the French proposals by no means
provided for adequate participation by countries such as
Australia, but he begged us to consider them as an attempt made in
the course of discussion, and in the light of the Soviet attitude
to gain at least some ground for democratic principle. He added
that there were bound to be several sessions of the Council of
Foreign Ministers before this question of procedure was settled,
and that Australia would have plenty of time to criticize
particular proposals made and to submit alternatives.

3. I then referred to the emergence of the conception of certain
neighbours of Germany as being more directly interested than
distant countries such as Australia despite the greater
contribution of the latter to the defeat of Germany. I said that
such a conception would not be admitted by the Australian people
who had voluntarily waged war with large forces against Germany,
even though they knew that in doing so, they were exposing
Australian territory to grave danger from Japanese aggression. I
suggested that it would have most unfortunate consequences if
Australia and the other Dominions were obliged to believe that
their help was welcome, when there was fighting to be done, but
not when it came to planning peace. I drew attention to the danger
from Australia's own viewpoint that if the Dominions do not
participate fully in the negotiation of the Peace, they cannot
feel so responsible for whatever settlement is adopted, and may
lose their present interest in the problem of European security.

4. M. Bidault repeated his assurance that France recognised both
Australia's right to full participation in view of her massive
contribution in both wars, and also the importance of retaining
Australia's voluntary interest in the European settlement and said
he would continue the struggle to secure the adoption of more
democratic procedure.

5. I suggested that not sufficient weight had been given to the
positive contribution that Australia and the Dominions can make to
the solution of many problems arising in connection with Germany
and Austria. I stressed the advantage of bringing to bear an
independent view based on a wider perspective than could be had
from Germany's neighbours and reminded M. Bidault that Australia
and some of the other Dominions had special knowledge and
experience of problems of federal Government which throw important
light upon such proposals as those recently made by France
regarding Germany's constitution.

I said it would be most imprudent not to take full advantage of
our knowledge when considering whether the treaty should impose a
constitution upon Germany. This point appeared to be a new one to
M. Bidault and to impress him as important. You may consider it
worth following up in other quarters also.

6. I drew special attention to your views that a general
conference was essential as well as adequate arrangements for
participation in detailed preparation work.

M. Bidault said he agreed and had even considered the possibility
of referring some of the wider issues to the United Nations. I
replied that Australia stood on her rights as an active
belligerent which were quite different from those of members of
the United Nations which had merely declared war.

7. We touched also on Austria. I said that Australia's views of
procedure were similar to those relating to Germany. M. Bidault
said he did not regard Austria as so important and that although
he had no objection to the Dominions taking part in the conference
on Austria, he was concerned over the tactics that would be
followed by Ukraine and White Russia. He went on to say that he
had received reports that the Soviet intended shortly to ask him
to receive separate diplomatic representatives from all sixteen
republics of the Union. If true this may indicate a most important
development of Soviet policy.

8. The interview closed with M. Bidault's renewed assurance that
he agreed with
you in principle, and would do his best to achieve a true
diplomatic procedure. Meanwhile he would welcome any detailed
views you might wish to send him.