CONSIDER TAL
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had been little used, and had not resulted in a significantly greater
flow of material to those countries
it was designed to help.
Future arrangements: Cla Commonwealth
9. There is clearly no need to disturb the basic pattern of the procedures as they affect Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We have customarily close reciprocal arrangements with them for the exchange of information in these and other fields, which it is to our advantage to preserve. Two changes are however, proposed to let them see other useful material:-
(a)
"Commonwealth" print
Commonwealth convention has been held to
prevent political information about one
Commonwealth country being given to another. With the great increase in new Commonwealth
countries, too strict an adherence to this convention might unnecessarily restrict our capacity to consult with the old Commonwealth
and other friendly countries, and a controlled relaxation is proposed (paragraph 10 of the attached Note).
(b) Telegrams
The number of telegrams shown to the old Commonwealth High Commissioners in London
has declined markedly in recent years, partly because of changes in the pattern of telegram
/distributions
CONFIDENTIAL
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