(B) General meetings from time to time at which the United Kingdom
Representatives would give us information on important
developments;

(C) Access by appropriate Australian Representatives to Official
Committees which might be set up for joint discussions with the
Americans (there are likely to be three Committees on Official
level dealing respectively with machinery and procedural matters,
Munitions and Non-Munitions). Mr. Ben Smith agreed to these three
requests.

The United Kingdom Representatives said that they wished to be
quite clear as to whether the United Kingdom were to present
Australian Munitions and Non-Munitions requirements together with
their own requirements or whether the United Kingdom were to
present their own requirements alone leaving it to Australia to
present its requirements to the Americans separately. They did not
advocate either course but pointed out the possible advantages and
disadvantages of both. If the United Kingdom presented Australian
requirements with their own there might be some tendency for the
Americans to apply to the Australians principles which were
rightly applicable to the United Kingdom but which should not be
applied to Australia. This could be met by emphasising the special
position of Australia. Australia would then have a special chapter
in the general British case. On the other hand if the United
Kingdom did not present Australia's requirements the opportunity
might be lost for full United Kingdom support of the Australian
case at a time when the American attitude on the whole re Lend
Lease was still relatively open.

We said that although it might appear from the fact that Australia
had supplied its Non-Munitions figures to the United Kingdom (see
226 from Australia to the Dominions Office [7]) that Australia
desired the United Kingdom to present Australian requirements when
United Kingdom requirements were presented, we would have to
obtain a direct instruction from Australia before we could give a
definite answer on this point.

The United Kingdom representatives then stressed the urgency of
Australia supplying at the earliest possible moment and in any
event during this week detailed estimates for both Munitions and
Non-Munitions requirements. They said that the figures given in
telegram No. 226 would need to be broken down into somewhat
greater detail.

Macgregor is cabling Impro direct regarding breakdown of 189
million dollar programme. [8]

Would appreciate earliest advice-
(1) Whether the United Kingdom is to present Australian figures
together with their own;

(2) Munitions and Non-Munitions estimates giving somewhat greater
breakdown than in your telegram 226. (Breakdown in fullest detail
will be required at a later stage.)

[AA:A571, L41/915A, iv]

1 Dispatched 27 September. On file AA:A571, L41/915A, iv. It
reported that the instructions in Document 298 had been carried
out.

2 Document 298.

3 R. H. Brand, banker; Representative of U.K. Treasury in
Washington.

4 Sir Henry Self, Deputy for the U.K. Minister of Production on
Combined Production and Resources Board in Washington; U.K. Member
of Combined Raw Materials Board.

5 Sir Charles Hambro, banker; U.K. Member of Combined Raw
Materials Board and Head of British Raw Materials Mission in
Washington.

6 Redvers Opie, economist; Counsellor and Economic Adviser, U.K.

Embassy in Washington.

7 Dispatched 6 September. On the file cited in note 1.

8 Cablegram W9717, dispatched 9 October. On the file cited in note
1.