(A 470/21/45)
Proposed Conference on matters concerning the
Pacific Islands between His Majesty's Governments
in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand,
NOTE BY THE FOREIGN OFFICE.
The main object of this conference in so far as concerns
its civil aviation aspect is to formulate an agreed policy as to
the practical methods which could he employed to induce the
United States Government to consent to a four-party conference
for the development of air communications in the Western Pacific,
In spite of repeated attempts to elicit a reply, the United
States Government havo hitherto failed to respond to the
invitation to take part in such a conference which was originally
addressed to them on the 30th March, 1938.    It is understood
that their reluctance is due to the unwillingness of the United
States Navy Department to accord landing facilities to British
aircraft at Hawaii.
Until the above-mentioned, practical methods are avail-
able to bring pressure to bear upon the United States Government
to take part in a conference, there is a risk that they may take
some new initiative in developing their own policy of acquiring
for themselves a monopoly of civil aviation facilities across
the Pacific by asserting claims to individual islands hitherto
regarded as British.    In particular it is to be anticipated
that they may take such an initiative in respect of Hull Island
in the Phoenix Group or Christmas Island, both of which possess
exceptional potential facilities for the establishment of an air
port.
Whilst the precise form in which the United States
Government are likely to assert further claims to the above-
mentioned or other islands cannot be foreseen, it would seem
probably that they might adopt one or other of the alternative
courses mentioned under heading (1) (a), (b) or (d) of the
agenda for the conference under reference which has "been sub-
mitted t*"His Majesty's Government in New Zealand.    It is the
view of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom that the
general line to be adopted when confronted with any of these
courses should be to insist with renewed vigour upon the need
f»r settling the problem at issue by way of a conference on
aviation facilities rather than on the basis of discussing
the sovereignty of individual islands.    In so far as Christmas
Island is concerned His Majesty's Government in the United
Kingdom are of opinion that their title is unassailable, and
they are prepared to resist any claim to it to the point of
arbitration.    It is also their view that the British title to
Hull Island is sufficiently strong to enable them, if the
necessity arises, to threaten to refer to arbitration the
disputed claim to this island.    If, however, the United States
Government thereupon fail to abandon the claim to Hull Island,
His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom consider that it
would be advisable to offer them a position on the island
precisely similar to that which they themselves occupy as the
result of the establishment of a regime for the use in common
tff Canton and Enderbury Islands for purposes connected with
international aviation and communication.    Such a concession
would in practice be confined to allowing the United States
Government to obtain a nominal share in the administration of
Hull Island together with the right, after the payment of an
agreed fee, to enjoy the use of such air facilities as may
be developed there.   As, however, the foregoing offer would
preclude the possibility of using Hull Island as a bargaining
counter in the efforts to obtain reciprocal landing rights for
British aircraft at Hawaii, His Majesty's Government in the
United Kingdom would suggest that it should only be put forward
as a last resort.    The prospect, if the need arises, of
persuading the United States Government to abandon their claims to
the island is in any case strengthened by the fact that
arrangements are proceeding for its colonisation by natives from
the surplus population of the Gilbert and Ellice Island and-the
United States Government are already aware that this island is
included in a   humanitarian scheme for the settlement of these
natives «n islands of the Phoenix Group,   By withdrawing their
proposal for the colonisation of Canton Island in deference to the
wishes of the United States Government, His Majesty's Government
in the United Kingdon have moreover provided themselves v/ith an
additional argument for claiming that the United States Government
shoul/i -disinterest- themselves in other islands, £>f this group.
FOREIGN OFFICE,
14th January, 1939.