A meeting was held in Sir Harry Batterbee's
room in the Dominions Office on the 13th January.
Present:    sir Harry Battel.) Dominions office.
Mr. J. Balfour
Mr. Herbertson.
Mr. Acheson.
Mr. Bevir.
Foreign Office.
Air Ministry.
Colonial Office.
Mr. Balfour pointed out that the aim of H»M«G.
was to get a civil aviation service worsting in the Western
Pacific, and to achieve that we wanted to get the proposed
four party conference between the Government of the
United States and H.M.G. in the U.K«, in Australia, and
in New Zealand.     The object of the proposed conference
in New Zealand was to find out what measures we could take
or what levers we possessed towards getting the United
States Government to agree to a conference.     It was
pointed out that our chief bargaining point was the refusal
of terminal facilities.     It was open to the
N. Z. Government to terminate the contract with
Pan American Airways owing to the U. S. having failed to
carry out the contract since the loss of the
"Hawaiian Clipper" but this seemed hardly a desirable line
to take.     At the moment H.M.G. in the U.K. were not in a
position to help as we had neither money nor craft available
tho1 the position might be different in 1941.
Mr. Herbertson said that in his view the only other
bargaining asset of importance was Hull Island and that the
Air Ministry were most anxious that we should not surrender
any rights in regard to it.     After further discussion it
was
was agreed that the Foreign Office should find out
whether it would be possible to ascertain from
Washington what the basis of the United States claim to
Hull Island was.     It was thought that it would in any
case be advisable, if the need arose to threaten to refer
the conflicting claims to this island to arbitration.
In the meantime, Mr, Balfour undertook to ascertain from
the Foreign Office legal advisers whether the available
evidence would justify the adoption of such a course and
also to draft a memorandum which could be used as a brief
for sir Harry Batterbee as U.K. representative at the
proposed conference in New Zealand.
Captain Herbertson said that a brief was being
prepared for the Warren Fisher Committee, which could
subsequently be used as a basis for instructions to the
U.K. representatives on the civil aviation side.      In the
meantime, a further note in regard to Hull Island would
be prepared in the Colonial Office.
The question of the date of the conference was
the;, discussed.     It was pointed out that it was
desirable that the conference should be held as soon as
possible as its object was to try to consider what steps
should be taken in the event of the United States
Government taking any active steps in regard to their
claim to the Islands.     Sir Harry Batterbee said that it
would not be possible for the first part of the conference,
which would deal with the political and civil aviation
aspects of the matter, to be taken until the third or
fourth week in March, while the defence aspects could
not be taken until Air Marshal Longmore arrived in
New
New Zealand in April.      it was clear that the Conference
could not be held before the dates mentioned. If
therefore the U.S. Government actually did take any action
before the conference met, it would be necessary to
decide what to do ad hoc.
It was pointed out that if there was a gap
between the two conferences there might be practical
difficulties if as a result the High Commissioner for the
Western Pacific had to spend a long time in
New Zealand.
It was agreed that the Dominions Office should
circulate a draft telegram for concurrence in regard to
the arrangements for the Conference.
The question of the Line Islands and the
Pitcairn Group, Oeno Henderson and Ducie was also
discussed, and it was agreed that the Colonial Office
should prepare a brief for the U.K. representative in
regard to them.