Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Sir Frederic Shedden, and J. Harold Shullaw

wor 3 c DEPARTMENT OF STATE 131 AND SERVICE* Memorandum of Conversation DATE: April 20, 1949 SUBJECT: Sir Frederick Shedden's Appointment wi th the Secretary. PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary Sir Frederick Shedden, Australien Permanent Secretary of Defense J. Harold Shullaw, BO COPIES TO: The Secretery Two copies to R - Mr. Armstrong EUR - Mr. Hickerson Amerio an Embasey, Canberra 1-1493 Sir Frederick Shedden, Australian Permanent Secretary of Defense, called on me at his request today. He was accompanied by Owen Davie, First Secretary of the Nustralion Embassy, who w1 thdrew after introductions had been performed. Sir Frederick presented letters of introduction from Prime Minister Chifley, Mr. Robert Menzies, Leader of the Opposition, and Mr. Richard Casey. He remarked that these lettere demonstrated hie non-party statue. Bir Frederick said that in 1946 Prime Minister Chifley had decided that Australia should assume a larger share of defense responsibilities for the British Commonwealth in the Pacific area. He mentioned that Australia's defense expenditures vere very large for a country of only 8 million people. He also referred to Australian participation in the joint U.K.-Australien rocket range project in central Australia through a contribution of money and the provision of facilities, 3ir Frederick said that it is planned to eventually transfer laboratory work now being done in the United Kingãom to Australia, and toward this end Australian scientiste have been receiving training in Britain. This training project, he said, had run into 6 road block be- cause of the ban on classified information now in effect. DECLASSIFIED He E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, 210-55-1373 ane Reg NLT WHC : NARS Date 4-4-06