F.E.C. 146. Japanese whaling.

Reference United States aide-memoire, our F.E.C. 145.

A further protest to the State Department, even in the strongest
terms, is unlikely to cause reversal of decision to authorize this
expedition. We understand that some senior officials in the State
Department were very sympathetic to our position but they have
been overruled by General MacArthur who has taken a very strong
stand. Two further courses appear to be open-
(a) To force the United States to veto in F.E.C. a policy which
would prevent Japanese whaling in Antarctic. Australia, New
Zealand, and the United Kingdom are supporting the paper on
Japanese whaling, which will probably come before F.E.C. on 19th
June. So far we have received support from all other countries but
support of some of these might weaken at the last moment. I do not
know whether you wish to force the veto on this issue.

(b) To seek arrangements whereby ships would be turned over to
Australia immediately, possibly as interim reparations, and for
Australia in return to supply oil and perhaps whale meat to Japan
under arrangements agreed upon with U.S.A., probably as essential
imports receiving priority as occupation costs, like similar
imports from America. (U.S.A. does not expect to be paid 100
percent for this and will possibly receive much less). We have had
informal preliminary talks with American officials along these
lines, but have met with very little encouragement, and have,
naturally, not done anything concrete or detailed without
reference to you. The Americans tend to feel that any such
arrangements would take too long to work out and that difficulties
might arise with other countries such as Russia, which might be
interested in a similar arrangement.

If any formal proposals of this nature were made, their best
chance of success would be if proposed jointly with the United
Kingdom. [1]