Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "183390421",
    "label": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Sir Frederic Shedden, and J. Harold Shullaw",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/183390421"
}

{
    "id": "183390421",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/183390421",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Sir Frederic Shedden, and J. Harold Shullaw",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/183390421",
    "collections": [
        "Dean Acheson Papers",
        "Secretary of State Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-da/201181/1721907/1721907-34-01.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-da/201181/1721907/1721907-34-01.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-da/201181/1721907/1721907-34-01.jpg",
    "imageCount": 3,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/183390421",
    "naId": 183390421,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 20,
            "logicalDate": "1949-04-20",
            "month": 4,
            "year": 1949
        }
    ],
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-da/201181/1721907/1721907-34-02.jpg",
    "mediaId": "c043a9df01aeb7ff",
    "ocrText": "nor\nand\nminutes\n-2-\nARCHIVES 'NATIONAL RECORDS AND\nSERVICE*\nHe pointed out that the assistance which Australia was able to\ngive through such projects as the rocket range aided Great Britain\nand also enabled her to increase the effectiveness of her contri-\nbution to the Atlantic Pact.\nSir Frederick remarked that in addition to the difficulties\nin connection with the rocket range project, defense planning in\nthe Pacific was being hampered by the lack of exchenge of informa-\ntion. He said that Australia was not asking for help in this con-\nnection but only for information which would enable her to shape\nher plans for Australia's role in Pacific defense. He referred\nin this connection to the Austrelian contribution in manpower and\nreverse lend lease in the last war.\nSir Frederick stated that as Secretary for Defense and Chair-\nman of the Defense Committee, he could say that there vere no leaks\nof information in the defense organization, In his conversations\nwith Mr. Gordon Gray, the Assistant Secretary of the Army, he had\noutlined the stepe which had been taken by hie Government to set\nup a security organization modeled on the British MI-5. He pointed\nout that this new organization le headed by Mr. Justice Reed of\nthe South Australia Supreme Court, a man without party affiliations\nwho en joys popular confidence. Sir Frederick said that in or-\nganizing this security department, the Australian Government had\nhad the assistance of Sir Perey Sillitoe. He added that the British\nMI-5 people had stated that when the new security organization vas\nin operation, the Australian security safeguards would be equal\nto those of Great Britain.\nSir Frederick said that Ambassador Cowen had told him of a\nletter written by Prime Minister Attlee to the Fresident and of a\nletter from Mr. A. v. Alexander to the Secretary of Defense con-\nserning the Australian security situation. He said that he knew\nnothing of either letter and since Prime Minister Chifley had not\nmentioned the le tters to him before hie departure, their existence\nmust not have been known to his Government. He concluded his state-\nment by saying that he had been trying in the course of his visit\nto describe the steps taken by hie Government to improve security\nand added that he vas willing to return to the United States from\nthe United Kingdon, if necessary, to give any additional informa-\ntion required by the United States Defense authorities.\nI asked Sir Frederick when he thought the new security organi-\nzation would be functioning. Sir Frederick replied that the\nDirector General, Mr. Justice Reed, had already been appointed and\nhad begun to select hie staff at the time of his departure from\nAustralia\n292 azonst"
}