CONFIDENTIAL
FCO 40/3117
007364
MDHIAN
5. WE ARE SAYING IN RESPONSE TO ENQUIRIES THAT MR MAUDE'S STATEMENT FOLLOWED EXTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS IN CAPITALS WITH THOSE GOVERNMENT INVOLVED AND THE DETAILS WERE ALL AGREED WITH THEM.
6. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE AUSTRALIAN CONSUL GENERAL (BENTLEY) TO CONFIRM THAT HE KNEW THAT THE TERMS OF MR MAUDE'S STATEMENT HAD BEEN AGREED IN CANBERRA AND TO URGE THAT HE MIGHT CEASE ANY HOSTILE PUBLIC COMMENTS. HE AGREED THAT THE STATEMENT HAD BEEN AGREED BUT SAID IT HAD BEEN DONE AT FIRST SECRETARY LEVEL IN CANBERRA, WITH WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS AN OBSCURE BRANCH OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, AND INSISTED THAT ALTHOUGH MR MAUDE'S STATEMENT WAS LITERALLY CORRECT, THE FINAL SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 1 AND PARAGRAPHS 2 AND 4 GAVE A MISLEADING IMPRESSION THAT THE AUSTRALIAN POLICY WAS IN REACTION TO REPRESENTATIONS WHICH WE HAD MADE. I SAID THAT WE COULD NOT DO MORE THAN USE A FORMULE OF WORDS THAT HIS GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED.
7. THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER IS NOW AWAY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO HIS DEPUTY WHO TOOK A RATHER SIMILAR, BUT SOMEWHAT MORE SUBDUED LINE TO THAT OF THE AUSTRALIAN. HE CONFIRMED WHEN I READ HIM THE TEXT IN OTTAWA TELNO 235 THAT THEY WERE AWARE THAT THE TEXT USED BY MR MAUDE IN RESPECT OF CANADA HAD BEEN BASED ON THAT ISSUED BY THEMSELVES, BUT STILL THOUGHT WE HAD IMPLIED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A CHANGE. OF POLICY.
8. WE WILL OF COURSE CONTINUE TO TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO REBUT THESE SUGGESTIONS AND TO EMPHASISE THAT MR MAUDE'S STATEMENT WAS AGREED WITH THE GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED.
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