There are three papers which require action
in the annexed bundle -
(a) 86059/39 Western Pacific,
(b) 7025/2 Secret General, and
(c) 6214/53.
(a) deals with miscellaneous questions affecting
islands in the Western Pacific and a£c<S2i6^aMife%*
iau^raeltJtA^ the Canton-Enderbury dispute.
^ir) 7025/2 deals with the Conference in New Zealand^which
arose out of a proposal "by the New Zealand Government
^which was referred to the C»I*D.J for a survey of the
islands for air routes.(C)6214/53 deals with defence
questionsivv fc* UfaUx* fc^^^i'c ,
These "bundles have become necessarily
correlated owing to the proposed Conference in
New Zealand.
It may be convenient if I give briefly the
summary of the present position.
As far as the Canton-Enderbury dispute
is concerned the position is that a draft exchange of
notes is under discussion with the United States
Government.     A telegram- received a few days ago
indicates that the draft prepared by us and presented
to the United States Government is likely to be
acceptable to them.
That file also deals with our apprehensions
lest United States Government should again present us
a.
v/ith i&& fait accompli by trying to seize some of the
other islands in the area.     A few months ago they
informed

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Pcm
73;
26
informed us that they were proposing to send
a hydrographical expedition to certain of
these islands including Hull and weojfcre
apprehensive lest it should be part of a
further move in that area.     It now appears
from recent telegrams that they have no t't^^Si'^L
intentions, at least in regard to Hull. It
was "because of these apprehensions that we
were anxious from the Colonial Office point of
view to press on with /{u proposed Conference
in New Zealand for the discussion of the
general position in. regard to these islands.
As far as the proposed Conference
is concerned the position now is that a
telegram has just gone from the Dominions
Office to New Zealand dealing with the agenda^
in so far as defence was concerned, and saying
that the Conference might take place in the
middle of March. ( There is a draft telegram
70ZS72-
on Qgl'i/oa informing the High Commissioner of
this.
It is proposed that the Conference
should consist of Sir Harry Batterbee, {the
High Commissioner of the United Kingdom in
New Zealand)and representatives of the
New Zealand??pa6c^0CR^twi Governments. It
appears that it will be possible for Sir Harry
Luke to attend this Conference without
interfering v/ith his plans for visiting the
High
T
*
High Commission territories this summer.
In so far as the agenda for the Conference
is concerned, the defence agenda is discussed on
6214/53. >,
(tr) A "brief has been prepared by the Foreign
Office dealing with the political aspects of the
matter (5 on 7025/2). ®A brief is being prepared
in the Air Ministry dealing with civil aviation
aspects ani^a draft brief is with these papers
dealing with the future of unattached islands in the
area.      There are certain subordinate issues, but
the main points requiring decision on this paper
Pa/vyn-s %IX        are the form of the draft brief for Sir Harry
^tx4:ic*Jjx^-  Batterbee in so far as the t&attached islands are
concerned, and secondly, the instructions to
Sir Harry Luke in regard to the date and the agenda
for the proposed Conference.
(Unfortunately some of the earlier defence
papers and certain secret papers dealing with the
Unattached islands cannot be traced.     That and the
fact that the files are constantly being required
for urgent action has delayed the preparation of
the brief for Sir Harry Batterbee).
2.2.59.
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