[18 October 1944] [1]

WORLD ORGANIZATION: POST-HOSTILITIES PLANNING AND AUSTRALIAN - NEW
ZEALAND AGREEMENT [2]

A. REVIEW OF APPRECIATION - FUTURE OF SOUTHWEST PACIFIC REGION -
JANUARY, 1944 [3]

1. The Defence Committee reviewed its Appreciation of the Future
of the Southwest Pacific Region (Defence Committee Minute No.

2/1944) [4] and expressed the conclusions set out in the following
paragraphs 2 to 8.

The location of bases
2. The conclusions set out in paragraphs 17 to 23 regarding the
location and manning of strategic bases were re-affirmed.

The strength of the Forces required for the defence of the Island
Screen
3. The Strength of Forces which it will be necessary for Australia
and New Zealand to provide for the defence of the Island screen
depends upon-
(i) the form of collective security projected in the Indian and
Pacific Oceans, including regional arrangements under the World
Organization;

(ii) the post-war Empire Defence Policy and the extent of the
United Kingdom contribution thereto for the security of this
region;

(iii) the extent of the contribution by friendly powers such as
Netherlands East Indies, Portugal and France with interests in the
area;

(iv) the extent to which it is possible, in practice, to implement
the clauses of 35(a) of the Australian - New Zealand Agreement.

4. It is desired to stress that garrisons allocated to the defence
of forward bases in the Island screen are detachments from the
main land forces and the principles underlying the use of
detachments referred to in the following paragraphs should
therefore apply.

5. The capacity to hold securely any forward base on the Island
screen, and therefore the obligations that Australia could accept
in this regard is directly dependent on the strength, composition
and state of readiness for war of the total balanced armed forces
to be maintained by Australia after the war and especially her
ability to ensure the continued control of sea communications.

6. The forces available for the initial defence of Australia, of
which the defence of the Island screen is an integral and
essential part, must in all respects be ready for war and
therefore on a permanent footing, adequately trained and equipped,
with the necessary logistic services immediately available.

7. Such forces must be adequate to control the situation until the
immediate resources of the United Kingdom and of our potential
Allies may be concentrated in the appropriate area and until the
nation can be fully mobilized for war and it cannot be too
strongly emphasized that garrisons in the forward bases will once
more prove hostages to fortune unless a strategical plan for the
defence of the Nation provides for their adequate support during
the initial stages of the conflict.

The policy of achieving security by a synthesis of national
defence, empire co-operation and international security
8. It was agreed that this policy as outlined in the earlier
Appreciation does not require amplification and that subsequent
developments have in no way impaired the soundness of the
following basic principles therein stated-
(i) total reliance should not be placed on any system of
collective security;

(ii) no country should accept the risk of relying primarily for
its defence upon the assistance of a foreign power.

B. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PROPOSAL IN THE AUSTRALIAN - NEW ZEALAND
AGREEMENT FOR A REGIONAL DEFENCE ZONE (CLAUSE 13) TO PROPOSALS FOR
REGIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AS PART OF THE WORLD ORGANIZATION (CLAUSE 8c
OF DUMBARTON OAKS DRAFT [5])

9. The relevant terms of Australian - New Zealand Agreement and
the Dumbarton Oaks Draft are as follows-
(i) Clause 13 of the Australian - New Zealand Agreement-
'The two Governments agree that, within the framework of a general
system of world security, a regional zone of defence comprising
the Southwest and South Pacific Areas shall be established and
that this zone should be based on Australia and New Zealand,
stretching through the arc of islands North and North East of
Australia to Western Samoa and the Cook Islands.' (ii) Clause VIII
C of the Dumbarton Oaks Draft-
'Regional Arrangements
Nothing in the Charter should preclude the existence of regional
arrangements or agencies for dealing with such matters relating to
the maintenance of peace and security as are appropriate for
regional action, provided such arrangements or agencies and their
activities are consistent with the purposes and principles of the
organization. The Council should encourage settlement of local
disputes through such regional agencies either on the initiative
of states concerned or by reference from the Council.

The Council should where appropriate utilize such arrangements or
agencies for enforcement action under its authority, but no
enforcement action should be taken under regional arrangements or
by regional agencies without authorization of the Council.

The Council should at all times be kept fully informed of the
activities undertaken or in contemplation under regional
arrangements, or by regional agencies, for the maintenance of
peace and security.'
10. It was considered that the proposal in the Australian - New
Zealand Agreement for establishing a regional zone of defence is
in no way incompatible with the proposal for regional arrangements
in the Dumbarton Oaks Draft. The two proposals appear to be aimed
at different objectives and to have no direct relationship to each
other. The regional zone of defence in the Australian - New
Zealand Agreement defines a specific region in which the
Australian and New Zealand Governments have declared their mutual
defence interests. In this zone or region, it is considered
desirable that arrangements should be made for close co-operation
in defence (particularly in relation to maintenance and control of
strategic bases) between Australia and New Zealand and other
portions of the British Commonwealth as well as certain friendly
powers who are united in a common interest to defend this zone.

The objective in the Australian - New Zealand Agreement is to
ensure the defence of this zone against a potential external
aggressor. On the other hand, the regional arrangements or
agencies contemplated in the Dumbarton Oaks Draft have as their
object the maintenance of conditions of peace and security within
regional areas through regional action and the settlement locally,
if possible, of disputes arising between States within the
regional area. An appropriate Pacific region for this latter
purpose will undoubtedly extend beyond that selected as a zone of
defence in the Australian - New Zealand Agreement and include
powers other than those directly interested in such zone of
defence.

11. The Defence Committee considered that the establishment of a
World Organization does not preclude the collaboration of
individual countries with a view to ensuring peace in a particular
region or safeguarding some special mutual interest.

C. CO-OPERATION WITH NEW ZEALAND

Arrangements in accordance with Clause 35(a) of the Australian -
New Zealand Agreement
12. Clause 35(a) of the Australian - New Zealand Agreement is as
follows-
'The two Governments agree that their co-operation for defence
should be developed by-
(i) continuous consultation in all defence matters of mutual
interest
(ii) the organization, equipment, training and exercising of the
armed forces under a common doctrine
(iii) joint planning
(iv) interchange of staff-, and
(v) the co-ordination of policy for the production of munitions,
aircraft and supply items and for shipping to ensure the greatest
possible degree of mutual aid consistent with the maintenance of
the policy of self-sufficiency in local production.'
13. It was considered that staff discussions upon the
organization, equipment, training and exercising of the armed
forces under a common doctrine should be initiated as soon as
possible between the respective Services.

14. With regard to joint planning and co-ordination of policy for
the production of war materials, it was considered that before
consultation can usefully be undertaken with New Zealand, it is
necessary that the question of the strength of the post-war
Australian defence forces and the bases to be maintained by such
forces should receive further study, both by the Services and the
Government in the light of the co-operation that might be expected
from other powers and the arrangements made for the setting up of
a World Organization to maintain peace. When the position of other
countries interested has been clarified and policy decisions
reached, joint planning with New Zealand should be undertaken
through joint planning machinery comprising members of each of the
Services of both countries and the coordination of policy in
respect of the matters referred to in Clause 35(a)(v) should be
effected by representatives of the Departments concerned, in
collaboration with the Chiefs of Staff or their representatives.

The desirability of Machinery for early joint staff discussions on
matters raised in connection with the military aspects of World
Organization
15. It was considered that joint staff conversations on the
military aspects of a World Organization for the maintenance of
peace should be held when policy decisions have been reached with
regard to the post-war defence forces.

D. SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AT WELLINGTON

16. It was noted that the Department of External Affairs has
proposed. [6] that the scope of the talks at Wellington should
include inter alia-
(a) Joint Australian - New Zealand policies in regard to measures
to ensure Australian - New Zealand participation in armistices and
post-hostilities arrangements in the Pacific.

(b) Exchange of views on the general lines of political and
economic treatment of Germany, the position arising from the
Dumbarton Oaks Conference and what further steps should be taken
in relation to inter-Governmental discussions on World
Organization. It might also be useful if time permitted to
exchange general views on the best means of implementing those
clauses of the Agreement dealing with the regional zone of defence
and the South Seas Commission.

17. The Defence Committee recommended that machinery for Post-
Hostilities Planning should be established in each country as
early as possible. It was envisaged that not only would such
machinery provide a means of integrating Australian and New
Zealand planning, but through the exchange of information with
similar bodies in the United Kingdom and Canada it would assist in
the development of plans covering the whole range of Empire
Defence.