Your tel. No. 1193.

South Pacific Commission.

Your views were put very strongly to State Department today and
although no formal commitment was possible we have the impression
that United States Government would be prepared to participate in
November meeting provided meeting was on a level at which they
could be suitably represented by U.S. Consul-General Sydney. State
Department is fully seized with desirability of preliminary
meetings to deal with such questions as Secretary-General, budget
and site and admitted that their own experience with the Caribbean
Commission had proved importance of such work. They are reluctant
however to take any action such as appointment of even a
Commissioner designate which they feel might arouse Congressional
resentment if it were done in anticipation of Congressional
approval. They would thus prefer that instead of November meeting,
preparatory body should continue its present work in preparation
for initial meeting of Commission in January and argued that there
was nothing which November Conference could do which could not
equally well be done by bodies now meeting.