Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

I have received your despatch dealing with question of Pacific War
Council. [1] I cannot agree that Council is in any way discredited
although I think you right in pointing to some of its defects. It
was the only body that assured to Australia and New Zealand a
regular opportunity for discussions with Pacific countries at
highest political level. It dealt with both political and military
matters.
The fact that it was not an executive body did not prevent
important results from being achieved at Council meetings during
two periods when I represented Australia. Both Churchill and
Mackenzie King attended meetings then and discussions led to an
important increase of Pacific supplies vitally assisting
Australia.
2. The truth is that bodies like this cannot be kept active unless
the opportunities they give are pursued with energy and
concentration by our representatives. The very fact that the
President spoke freely on these occasions proved a tremendous
advantage to us and New Zealand. That the Council should be
rendered active again despite its limitations therefore seems an
essential course. Its transformation into a Pacific Advisory
Commission may take some time to effect. I do not want the notion
to be encouraged, however, that the Council which materially
helped to save this country has been a failure. It achieved its
first purpose from Australia's point of view. It should be
possible now to develop it into a more systematic body. But the
first thing is to set the Council in motion again.
3. Although they attended regularly British and Canadian
representatives at Washington did little to help the success of
the Council which was established despite opposition from
Whitehall. You should not be surprised to find somewhat similar
opposition to any proposal to restore the Council to its former
position. At same time President and Hopkins must see possibility
of increasing usefulness of Council. [2] I think Berendsen should
strongly support our view. I am approaching the New Zealand
Government accordingly.