IMMEDIATE

Your telegram 34. Moscow Conference Series No.1.

1. Your instructions have been noted. Bevin has promised
personally to consult my Canadian and New Zealand colleagues and
myself daily or almost daily and to keep us fully informed of
developments. When he is unavailable, according to the present
arrangements Shannon of Dominions Office will deputise for him and
meet us or our deputies.

2. I have already drawn attention to the contents of your telegram
33 and shall discuss it personally with Bevin.

3. Although not all basic documents have yet been [sent] [1] from
London, I have those which set out the Australian attitude and
shall lose no opportunity of pressing Australian views.

4. The opening session of Conference lasted less than two hours.

The two most important developments were:

(1) Molotov's proposal that the Council of Foreign Ministers
should hear reports on the fulfilment of decisions of the Moscow
Conference of 1945 regarding 'the necessity for uniting and
democratising China under a national Government'. The British
attitude was not disclosed but Marshall proposed that
consideration of the suggestion be postponed until today.

(2) Marshall's proposal to include on the agenda the question of
limitation of occupation forces in Europe. Discussion of this
proposal was also postponed until today. The remainder of the
sitting was occupied with points on the existing agenda on the
lines intimated to the Daily Press.

The British attitude with regard to Molotov's proposal on China is
to 'let the Americans make the running'.