740.0011 Pacific War/4
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Minister of Australia called at his request. He said that he wanted us to know that if any nation should become involved in war with Japan, Australia would be in that war immediately with all her strength.
He inquired about the idea of his Government sending a naval expert here for a conference in regard to our respective naval forces, et cetera, with no purpose to enter into any agreement. I suggested that since he was going to talk with the President within a few minutes he might take that matter up with him. (I later talked with the President and we agreed that it would be entirely all right if Australia should desire to send a naval attaché to this country, even though he might not remain more than two or three weeks.)
The Minister then asked whether he should inquire of the President as to naval plans relating to the South Sea area. I repeated my replies to him and to Ambassador Lothian on the general subject of the future plans and operation policies in the Pacific area by pointing to the succession of progressive acts and utterances thus far on the part of the United States and concluding with the statement that we are on a week to week and at times possibly a day to day basis; that the matter may not be under our control in some respects; and that the Minister and his Government must themselves forecast this matter in the light of our policies up to this time, the last of our acts being the calling back of American citizens from the Far East.22 I remarked that this was a far more valuable step than the one the British Ambassador had inquired about in relation to the possible sending of a good will mission to Australia. To this the Minister agreed.