In a secret despatch of 20th Hay on the strategic
importance of the Pacific Islands, the Hew Zealand Government
gave their views on *te Report by the Chiefs of Staff
Committee (c«X«3« Paper iio.l327-£; and also stated: "ilia
.Majesty's Government in the United iUn^dom might possibly
thinic it advisable that representatives of all three countries
(Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand) should meet at
some suitable point to discuss Pacific Island matters,"
This despatch was considered by the Chiefs of staff
Sub-Committee, whose Heport, dated July 23rd, is in CI..).
Paper l*o.l-*55-b, and their final paragraph states, with
reference to the proposed conference:    "v/e are not clear
whether such discussions are intended to cover political,
commercial and financial questions, or would merely be confined
to the strategic, etc. aspect."     The composition of the
United Kingdom Delegation to this conference would, in their
view, vary according to the nature of the topics to be
discussed, aq/*£ha* if the discussions "are to be of a broader
nature it might be advisable for the Air officer Commanding,
Singapore, and the Commander in Chief, China, to be
represented, rather than that the discussions should be
conducted by officers under the ilew Zealand Government. "
On July 27th, the C«X«D» considered this Report
(Minutes of the 331st Meeting) and agreed (c) That
the Dominions Office should take up with the Hew Zealand
Government the question of a conference between representatives
of Great Britain, Australia and Hew Zealand, to discuss
Pacific Island matters."
On
On September 9th a reply was sent (secret telegram
No. 116) to New Zealand dealing with oertaln points raised
in their despatch of 20th Uay, and promising that a further
communication would be sent as regards the question of a
conference.
On 26th October, a semi-official letter was
accordingly sent from the Dominions Office to members of
the Admiralty, Air Ministry, c.l.D., Colonial Office, Foreign
Office and Treasury, to ascertain whether these Departments
considered that the conference, if held, should be confined to
strategic matters or whether political and other questions
should be included.      In this letter, the question was also j
raised as to whether the United Kingdom High Commissioner in
New ..ealand, who would by the time the conference met have
taken up his office, should not also attend the conference Id
addition to the Service representatives suggested by the ,
Chiefs of staff, and the High commissioner for the .estern \f*
iacific, as suggested by the Secretary of £tate for the
Colonies at the C.I.D. meeting on 27th July.
The reply to this letter from the Treasury was that
the best course would be to leave to New Zealand the nature
of the subjects to be discussed, and the c. I.D. Secretariat
shared this view.     The Foreign Office view waB strongly in
favour of a conference on the broadest lines, and the Air
Ministry agreed that progress would probably be difficult if
political iBsues were excluded.     The Colonial Office are in
favour of the holding of a conference and suggest that its
nature should be one of the subjects for discussion at the
forthcoming lnter-departmental meeting.
Dominions Office,
21st November, 1938.