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4. AT THE SAME TIME, THE AUSTRALIAN ASSESSMENT THAT THE RISK HAS RELATIVELY SLIGHT THAT THIRD COUNTRIES WOULD GANG UP TO BLOCK ANY
ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN AGREEMENT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN CREDENCE BY DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS THOSE REPORTED IN PARAGRAPHS 5 AND 6 OF MY TELNO 385 (SOME OF WHICH HAVE SINCE BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE) AND BANGKOK TELEGRAM NO ALLOT 6. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND I HOPE THAT WE MAY FEEL ABLE TO ADOPT A MORE ROBUST ATTITUDE IN PROMOTING
AN AGREEMENT ON THE LINES AUSTRALIANS PROPOSE. THE AUSTRALIANS BELIEVE, EVIDENTLY WITH SOME REASON, THAT ANY SIGN OF LACK
OF SOLIDARITY BETWEEN US IS MORE LIKELY TO ENCOURAGE OPPOSITION FROM OTHERS THAN THE REVERSE. IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF MY TELEGRAM NO 319 |
ATTEMPTED TO SET OUT THE ADVANTAGES TO ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN
RELATIONS OF A POSITIVE RESPONSE: SINCE THEN THERE HAS BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN AUSTRALIAN/EUROPEAN RELATIONS AND
THE CREDIT WE GAINED FOR OUR HELPFUL ROLE IN EEC DISCUSSIONS COULD
WELL BE WEARING RATHER THIN, PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF OUR SHARP
DISAGREEMENT OVER SELECTIVE SAFEGUARDS IN THE MTNS. THE FAILURE
TO SIGN THE NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT, THROUGH NO FAULT OF OURS,
DENIED US A SUCCESS, A FORTHCOMING APPROACH TO THE AIR SERVICES
ISSUE IS A MATTER WHICH LIES IN OUR OWN HANDS AND IS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO RESTORE CREDIT WHICH I HOPE WE SHALL NOT MISS.
FCO PLEASE PASS SAVING TO WASHINGTON, MANILA, DELHI, BAHRAIN, PARIS, BONN, ROME, THE HAGUE, VIENNA, BELGRADE, JOHANNESBURG, ATHENS, OTTAWA.
DUDGEON
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
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LEGAL ADVISERS
MR BUTLER
MISS BROWN
MR MURRAY
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