I was much obliged for your personal message of 10th December. As
Mr. Beasley and my Department were carrying on the work I have
waited to reply until I could send you an adequate personal answer
to the points which you raised.

2. I am afraid that His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom
have been obliged to cause you disappointment in the last few
months. You will realise that our shipping programmes have all
been upset by the accelerated withdrawal from India and from
Palestine involving as it does the movement of enormous numbers of
service personnel, civilians and stores. I hope that nevertheless
you understand our warm sympathy with the purpose which you and
Mr. Beasley have pressed upon me. I hope we shall be able to give
increasing assistance as and when the large scale tasks in India
and Palestine have been accomplished.

3. Asturias. Although no doubt Mr. Beasley has explained our view
of this matter may I recapitulate a little of the history as we
see it. My office did not hear of the proposed voyage for this
ship until arrangements had been carried very far. I understand
that as long ago as October a suggestion had been considered for
moving European families from India to Australia by the Manoora.

When a request for a ship was received by our Ministry of
Transport from India they had no idea that the movement would not
be agreeable to your Government. I am afraid that everybody
assumed that the approval of the immigration of individuals
concerned by the Australian authorities in India meant that it was
all clear at your end.

4. In any case arrangements had gone so far that as you know the
people concerned had been assembled at the Indian port and a
voyage had been planned for the Asturias. We were unable to hand
over the Asturias immediately after the voyage for further work or
to adopt the compromise plan that you suggested because her
services were essential for the last stages of the evacuation of
India.

5. I now fully realise the difficulties which have been caused at
your end and I greatly regret them. We are most grateful to you
for now agreeing to let the Asturias do this voyage and for
overcoming the obstacles which confronted you.

6. My office is making arrangements to ensure that no such
misunderstanding shall arise in future and they will let you know
through Mr. Beasley what steps are being taken to draw the
attention of all the United Kingdom authorities in India to the
matter. The steps taken will ensure that you shall have full prior
warning before any such movement is planned again.

7. Mr. Beasley has no doubt also explained our difficulties about
the Aquitania. Briefly they are these-
(a) we have no power to direct the movements of the Aquitania
after March next,
(b) she is so ill-adapted to the Australian run that the cost per
passenger would be 50% above that of the other ships which we are
proposing,
(c) the Cunard Company are naturally most anxious to use her on
the Atlantic run to deal with the acute and urgent problems of the
Canadian Government.

If we did succeed in persuading them to use the Aquitania for
Australia we should not be able to offer you some of the other
ships which I hope you will now have. In other words you would
have received fewer immigrants at a much greater cost.

8. The programme which we have now arranged with Mr. Beasley is as
follows-
(a) In the latter part of next year ships which could carry a
total of 11,100 (namely Asturias, Empire Brent, Georgio,
Dorsetshire and Somersetshire). In a full year these five will
carry 18,000 to 20,000 approximately; and there will be further
ships joining them as they become available.

(b) The Ormonde, Ranchi and Chitral, arrangements in regard to
which were made a considerable time ago, will together lift 8,250
in a full year. This gives a total of 28,250.

(c) In addition there are the Orontes, Otranto and Dominion
Monarch as well as the Strathmore and Strathnaver which are at the
moment or will shortly be under reconversion for commercial
service to Australia.

9. In addition to these ships there are others already operating
on a purely commercial basis. If all goes well programme I have
outlined above should mean that during the course of next year a
much larger number of immigrants will reach you and that the
number will increase from month to month thereafter.

10. I hope therefore you will now feel that we are entering a
period when we shall be able to see free and speedy movement for
migrants taking place on a substantial scale. As I have already
said we are anxious here to facilitate in all ways possible the
journeys of the many thousands who are waiting for passages and I
trust that the plans outlined above will soon produce substantial
results.