Cable 392 CANBERRA, 22 July 1949, 4.05 p.m.

CONFIDENTIAL
Your 627. [1]

Please inform Romulo that the Minister has always been in favour
of some form of regional association that would provide for closer
co-operation and consultation between Australia and the
Philippines and other countries of Asia and the Pacific having
interests and problems in common. The informal approach made
through Romulo suggests that the President of the Philippines may
have something of this kind in view. Romulo will recall that the
Governments represented at the New Delhi Conference on Indonesia
in January of this year adopted a resolution looking towards the
establishment of suitable machinery for consultation among
themselves within the framework of the United Nations, and that
since the conference preliminary steps have been taken to carry
this resolution into effect. The Australian Government believes
that if the concept of a regional association or pact within the
framework of the United Nations is to become a reality it should
develop from the initiative already taken at the New Delhi
Conference, and that the launching of separate proposals at this
stage could possibly lead to confusion. Please convey to Romulo
the Minister's personal compliments.