NEW Z1SALAND
To Mr. Boyd Shannon from the Under Secretary of mate for
Dominion- Affairs.
(Sent 8.0 p.m., 7th March, 1939).
Immediate.
Secret.
Please see telegram to Governor-Generul of today No. 34.
As Will be observed our feeling i3 that it is for His Majesty's
Government in New Zealand, as the Government convening the
Conference, to take initial action as regards any formal
announcement as to the Conference.     In the present international
situation, however, Mew Zealand Government may like to have in
advance our own ideas as to general lines which such announcement
might take.     We think that it might be to the effect that, as a
result of suggestion put forward "by New Zealand which has "been
under discussion during the last few months, arrangements have
now been completed for the meeting in New Zealand in the near
future of a Conference between representatives of the Governments
of New Zealand, the Commonwealth of Australia and the United
Kingdom to consider Pacific questions of common concern with
special reference to defence questions (without entering into
details of particular questions proposed for diseussion).
Please communicate at once with New Zealand authorities
informally in above sense.