It would be of interest to us if you could drop a line on anything
which transpires in Canberra in connection with a possible
conference of Prime Ministers towards the end of the year. The
subject keeps appearing in the U.K. Press and is discussed very
freely but no one seems to have anything concrete. It might be
better to wait until the E.R.P. programme is further underway. In
the economic field very much is in a state of flux, but I doubt
whether there are many concrete issues at present to be cleared on
the top level. Only if the Dominions wish to become thoroughly
acquainted with what is in the minds of the U.K. Cabinet in regard
to closer permanent integration with Europe would a conference now
seem to be required. On the other hand, since so much is in the
state of flux, any firm line coming from the Dominions could
probably influence the future course of events more effectively
than later on. However, if a conference is definitely a firm
probability we at this end should be directing our activities
accordingly. At the present time, I personally am concentrating
rather on developing wide contacts, official and unofficial, with
a view to measuring in my own mind the strength of different
currents of opinion and their likely impact on events.