Memorandum from Acting Secretary of State Joseph Grew to President Harry S. Truman

DEPARTMENT OF STATE WASHINGTON June 9, 1945 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT Subject: Problems to be Discussed by Mr. Forde, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia Mr. Forde, the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, is arriving in Washington, Sunday, June 10, and has an appointment to call upon you at 11:30 a.m. on Monday. He is seeing the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday at 2 o' clock and, presumably, will also see the British Joint Chiefs of Staff before his return to San Francisco. The two problems which he has indicated that he desires to discuss are (1) the progressive demobiliza- tion during the remainder of the year of fifty thousand men from the Australian Army, and (2) the capture of Ocean Island and Nauru. There is attached hereto a memorandum summarizing the Australian position with respect to these two islands which, before being cap- tured by the Japanese, were Australia's principal source of phosphates. In the discussions at the San Francisco Conference the members of the Australian delegation have expressed their points of view vigorously and have brought about modifications in the provisions of the charter. However, now that we are approaching the final stages of the pro- ceedings, it might be well to express the hope that everyone will support the charter and bring the Con- ference to a successful conclusion. ARCHIVES 8. "NATIONAL RECORDS AKD : SERVICE* Acting Secretary Enclosure: Memorandum.