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Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume III

131 — The Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to the Prime Minister of New Zealand1

131
The Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to the Prime Minister of New Zealand1

27 January 1942

We have been thinking over the machinery for consultation between ourselves and other members of the British Commonwealth on matters of urgency connected with the war, in the light of the new position resulting from the United States' entry into the war and recent developments in the Pacific. We have also received requests from the Australian Government for some change in the existing system, more particularly expressing the desire that ‘an accredited representative of the Commonwealth Government will have the right to be heard in the War Cabinet's formulation and direction of policy.’

2. We are now informing the Commonwealth Government that we are prepared to agree to this request, and Sir Earle Page, who is at present in London as the special representative of the Australian Cabinet, will attend meetings of the War Cabinet for the purposes indicated.

3. We feel that New Zealand should know this in case they felt disposed to avail themselves of the new arrangements on a similar footing to Australia. We recognise that each Dominion may have its own views about this, though I need not say they would be warmly welcomed.

1 Repeated to the Prime Ministers of Canada and South Africa.