Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Reference Commonwealth Government's telegrams Nos. 12 and 13 [1]
and New Zealand Government's telegram No. 8. [2]

Employment Policy.

We agree in general with the terms of the summary in the
Commonwealth Government's telegram No. 13 which it is suggested
should be used as the basis of a joint approach to the United
States Government. In order, however, to give the other British
Commonwealth Governments an opportunity to comment upon the
proposals we should be glad if the joint approach could be
deferred until the 29th January. We are communicating the
proposals to the Governments of Canada and the Union of South
Africa in a telegram, the text of which we are repeating to you in
my telegram D. No. 125. A similar telegram is being sent to the
Government of India. We are also asking the United Kingdom
Ambassador in Washington to obtain from the Australian and New
Zealand Ministers copies of the telegrams under reference and to
hold himself in readiness to make a joint approach on the 29th
January to the United States Government, unless he hears that any
of the other British Commonwealth Governments feel difficulty in
regard to the proposals.
We do not think the delay which we suggest will have any untoward
results so far as the current meeting of the governing body of the
International Labour Office is concerned. As explained in
paragraph 4 of my immediately following telegram we do not intend
to mention at this meeting the proposed approach to the United
States Government. [3] There should, therefore, be no danger of
the governing body being informed of the proposals before the
United States Government. We assume that the Australian and New
Zealand Governments will not make any announcements in the matter
for the time being.