COPY
(A 470/21/45)
See the
memorandum
annexed to
the Foreign
office brief
of 22nd
November
prepared for
the inter-
departmental
meeting on
Pacific
Islands which
took place
on 24th
November,
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
be 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 have 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 La 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
available 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/
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 probable that they might adopt one or other
of the alternative courses mentioned under heading (l)(a),
(b) or (d) of the agenda for the conference under
reference which has been submitted to His Majesty's
Government in New Zealand.     It is the view of Kis
Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom that the
general line go be adopted when confronted with any of
these courses should be to insist with renewed vigour
upon the need for 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
x See the        resist any claim to it to the point of arbitration,
discussion
under Item      It is also their view that the 3ritish title to Hull
4 of the
interdepart-   Island is sufficiently strong to enable them, if the
mental
meeting held   necessity arises, to threaten to refer to arbitration
at the
Foreign the disputed claim to this Island.     If, however, the
Office on
24th United States Government thereupon fail to abandon the'"
November,1938.
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 re'gime for the use In common of
Canton and inderbury Islands for purposes connected with
international/
p
See the international aviation and communication.       Such a
proposal
contained in     concession would in practice he confined to allowing
Foreign Office
memorandum of   the United states Government to obtain a nominal share
17th October,
1938. 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 claim 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 isillioe Islands and
the United States Government are already aware that this
island is included in a humanitarian scheme for the
settlement of these natives on 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 Kingdom have moreover provided themselves
with an additional argument for claiming that the United
States Government should disinterest themselves in
other islands of this group.
FOREIGN 0FFIC3,
14th January, 1939.