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513 Legation in Washington to Department of External Affairs

Cablegram 454 (extract) WASHINGTON, 20 June 1941, 12.23 a.m.

MOST SECRET

For Chief of Naval Staff [1] from Naval Attache [2] Tropic 29.

[matter omitted]

2. Reference [A.B.C.1] [3] annex 3 paragraph 18 (d) following is
an expression of United States intentions as communicated to the
British military mission by the United States Chiefs of Staff.

Begins:

The United States has no intention of making any permanent
'allocation' of United States naval forces to this area. The
United States Pacific fleet will support British naval forces in
the Tasman Sea as opportunity offers or as might prove profitable.

Such support, however, could not be continuous nor would it be
extended in the case of sporadic raiding by single Axis ships. The
United States Pacific fleet will at all times be employed as seems
best with regard to the totality of the Pacific strategic
situation as it affects the interests of the associated powers.

Ends.

3. I will endeavour to obtain some clarification of this statement
when matters in connexion with command and co-operation have been
finally cleared up.

1 Admiral Sir Ragnar Colvin, but see Document 355, note 2.

2 Commander D. H. Harries.

3 Corrected from the Washington copy on file AA: A3300, 123. See
also Document 455, note 5.


[AA: A3830, 1941, 1589]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
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