For Chief of Naval Staff [1] from Naval Attache. [2]

(1) Conversations are proceeding and have reached following
stage:-

(a) In their view main United States contribution should be in
Atlantic and Mediterranean. With this United Kingdom delegation
has agreed but United States representatives are most reluctant to
recognise that position in Far East must be held with minimum
force and that security of Singapore is an essential element in
our joint strategy for the prosecution of the war against Germany
and Italy. United States representatives would contemplate in the
last resort abandoning the Far East in order to ensure maximum
concentration in Atlantic and Mediterranean.

(b) United States representatives intend that United States
Pacific fleet should operate from Hawaii with the object of
protecting the West Coast of America and at the same time
restraining the Japanese from conducting major operations against
Malaya.

United Kingdom delegation have yet to divulge the precise
operations which are envisaged but they press for an active and
progressive policy.

(c) United States representatives maintain that any reinforcement
of their Asiatic fleet, present strength of which is 1 heavy
cruiser, 1 light cruiser, 13 destroyers and 17 submarines, would
serve no useful purpose in the event of war.

(2) At the request of United States representatives, United
Kingdom delegation have submitted an appreciation elaborating the
views of the Chiefs of Staff on the strategic importance of the
Far East position in relation to the main object, defeat of
Germany and Italy. Needless to say the United Kingdom delegation
have presented the strongest possible case and it is just possible
that this may yet influence them to appreciate our point of view
and agree at least to some reinforcement of their Asiatic fleet,
but the United Kingdom delegation must discard finally any hope of
this reinforcement including a United States capital ship-such
naval cooperation to operate from Singapore.

(3) With regard to the present critical situation in the Far East,
the United States representatives agree that everything possible
should be done to keep Japan from coming into the war, and also
that there is now no advantage to be obtained from a policy of
appeasement. United Kingdom delegation tentatively suggested that
a temporary reinforcement of their Asiatic fleet with forces of
the order of 1 carrier, 4 heavy cruisers and auxiliary craft would
have a salutary effect, but the United States representatives hold
that this would serve no useful purpose and would in fact be
provocative.

WATT