You will recall from the correspondence between the Acting
Minister for External Affairs and the Minister for Defence in
November 1945, concerning Australia's interests in the disposal of
units of the Japanese Fleet, that the Minister for Defence
referred to the close relation between External Affairs Policy and
Defence Policy and to the need for the fullest co-operation and
exchange of information between the two Departments. The Minister
mentioned in particular the vital interest of the Defence
Department and the Services in the security aspect of the United
Nations Organisation and the importance of this Department being
kept informed of developments in this direction and the background
in general.

2. Subsequently, in my memorandum of 11th April 1946, this
Department's special interest in all matters relating to the
Security Council and the Military Staff Committee was stressed,
and the wish was expressed that the Department of External Affairs
would ensure we are kept fully informed on all matters of Defence
interest connected with the United Nations Organisation.

3. As you know, there is constant consultation between our
respective Departments on subjects of this nature and, in order
that the Defence Department can be in a position to furnish its
views on the Defence aspects of the various problems as they
arise, it is important that copies of all overseas cablegrams
which are exchanged on these questions should be forwarded to
Defence promptly, in order that the knowledge and background
necessary for their proper consideration will be available for
assimilation as received, and that we will not be gorged with
spasmodic issues in bulk. The Departmental Machinery is handling
many problems of Post-War Policy, and sudden rushes and urgent
demands upset its smooth and efficient working.

4. Your memorandum No. UN.47/SC/6 of 16th April on Disarmament,
with which you furnished a series of cablegrams on this subject
not previously sent to the Defence Department, recognised the
difficulty with which we are confronted when called upon for our
comments at the last minute on a matter on which there has been an
extensive exchange of views over a lengthy period, of which we
have no knowledge. This difficulty is accentuated by the need for
preliminary examination of these subjects in the joint Service
Machinery of the Defence Department, by the joint Planners and the
Defence Committee, where careful study and investigation and the
possession of adequate background should be an essential pre-
requisite to the formulation of a considered policy covering all
aspects from the Defence and Services' point of view.

5. Cablegram No. UN.410 (Trusteeship 42) of 18th April from the
Australian Delegation, New York, is another recent illustration of
the difficulty presented by a last-minute request for the urgent
comments of this Department on the Defence aspect of cablegrams on
these subjects. [1] Although this cablegram has a definite Defence
interest and stated that the United Kingdom Representatives in New
York were seeking the opinion of their military advisers, the
External Communications Directorate's distribution list at its
foot shows that copies were sent only to 'Minister and Department
of External Affairs and Territories'. A single copy, without any
formal reference to the Defence Department, was received in this
Department in the mail late on the afternoon of 22nd April amongst
that day's general batch of cables. It was then necessary to
reproduce copies to for-ward to the Joint Planners and Defence
Committee for comments, in anticipation of the request
subsequently received in your teleprinter message No. 269 of 23rd
April.

6. The assurance in your memorandum of 16th April that copies of
all cablegrams on Disarmament will in future be forwarded to the
Defence Department on receipt, is appreciated, and I would
earnestly request your co-operation in ensuring that this
procedure is followed in respect of all the subjects in which this
Department is interested.

7. I would mention in particular, in this connection, the question
of the Peace Settlement with Japan, on which it is important that
the Defence Department should be kept up to date, as it will be
necessary at a later stage to furnish opinions on the Defence
aspects. You will recall that the Defence Department's general
views on the strategic questions involved in the Pacific
Settlement and its preliminary advice on certain specified aspects
connected therewith have already been requested in your memorandum
No. PCPS.A/22 of 24th March, and this matter is at present under
consideration by the Defence Committee. It is noted from copies of
cablegrams on this question which have been sent to this
Department, that there are other telegrams which we have not
received. Cablegram No.77 of 11th April from New Zealand, for
example, refers to Australian cablegrams Nos. 83 and go and to New
Zealand cablegram No. 66, which have not been sent to us, and it
appears from New Zealand cablegram No. 88 of 19th April that an
Australian reply may have been sent to Dominions Office cablegram
No. D.367 of 11th April. It would be appreciated if our file of
cablegrams on this subject could be completed, and if we could be
kept posted with further developments in order that, at the
appropriate time, we shall be in a position to furnish our
comments on the Defence aspects of problems associated with the
Peace Settlement as they arise. [2]