894.628/8–1547: Airgram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Clark) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 26—8:12 a.m.]
A–1804. 1. Reference Embassy’s airgram A–1697, August 5, 1947,49 and previous on Japanese whaling.
[Page 276]2. In course of an informal discussion August 15, 1947, MacDermot, Head, Japan and Pacific Department, Foreign Office, stated to Embassy officer that about a week ago the UK Government had telegraphed to the Governments of Australia and New Zealand stating that while it shared their position on the second Japanese whaling expedition it thought the matter was not one of any great consequence and that it would be just as well if the three Governments dropped their dispute with the US Government over the issue.
3. MacDermot went on to say that New Zealand had replied at once that it was agreeable to the UK proposal. The Australian reply had come in later, and while replete with argumentative contentions, it had ended up with an implicit and grudging acceptance of the UK suggestion.
4. MacDermot summed up by remarking that the whaling question now seemed a rather dead issue, and that we should in future probably hear very little of it either in the Far Eastern Commission or by way of diplomatic approach.
- Not printed.↩