318 Noel-Baker to Evatt

Cablegram 19 LONDON, 9 February 1949, 8.10 p.m.

MOST IMMEDIATE CONFIDENTIAL

Your telegram No.21. [1]

We understand that next meeting of Far Eastern Commission will
take place on 10th February.

2. We agree with you that everything possible must be done to
maintain right of Far Eastern Commission powers to participate in
formation of policy and that increasing tendency of United States
authorities to take independent action gives cause for concern.

But many complex issues are involved and we should like to consult
further with you and other Commonwealth countries represented on
F.E.C. as to how we can best proceed.

3. We should hope to be able to let you have our views very soon
and we should much appreciate it if you could defer raising
question in F.E.C. meanwhile. [2]

1 Document 317
2 As no reply had been received from New Zealand, India or Canada,
External Affairs instructed the Embassy not to raise the question
at meeting on 10 February (cablegram. 81, dispatched 10 February
1949). Noel-Baker replied on 26 April 1949 (cablegram 55) that the
UK Government felt that the most serious ground for complaint
against the United States was its failure to state its position on
the draft policy paper on level of industry (FEC242/32), which was
supported by nine members of the Commission, rather than the
points listed by Evatt in Document 317, paragraph 2. In view of
this difference of opinion the UK Government, had instructed its
representative on the Commission to approach the Department of
State directly on the matter.

[AA:A3318, L48/3/3/3/5]

Last Updated: 11 September 2013

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318 Noel-Baker to Evatt