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Telegram from General Jan Smuts [Prime Minister of South Africa] to WSC on subjects including: congratulating him on his trip [to Washington, United States]; commending the defence of the Far East but insisting on the Middle East and North Africa as the theatre of prime importance; Soviet success against Germany and Hitler's intentions towards Turkey and the Caucasus; making political concessions in India to secure support; improving tanks to German standards.

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Telegram from Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall [Chief of Staff, ABDA (Australian, British, Dutch and Australasian) Command] to WSC advising that the situation around Singapore is worsening.

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Telegram from the Prime Minister of New Zealand [Peter Fraser] to WSC acknowledging the new arrangements for the ABDA area [Australian, British, Dutch and Australasian], suggesting that the United States, which has naval responsibility for the Pacific and Anzac [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] areas should be on the consultative committee and asking for improved communications with General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific].

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Telegrams from General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] to WSC advising that as communication has been established with General Douglas MacArthur [Commanding General, United States Army Forces in the Far East] and Sharpe [Major-General William Sharpe], he will take over command of the Philippines; Singapore defences were aimed solely at seaward attack; reinforcements for Singapore, Java [part of Indonesia] and Sumatra.

Scope and Contents Telegrams from John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia, to WSC on subjects including: naval proposals for the Anzac [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] area; the appointment of a British Flag Officer to work with the United States Flag Officer in command, both co-operating with the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board against the Japanese; the gravity of events in the Pacific not being appreciated in London, and the belief of Lieutenant-General [Henry] Gordon Bennett [General Officer...

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Telegram from the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] to WSC advising that the Australian War Cabinet rejects the proposed Far Eastern Council in London and requires an Australian representative on the War Cabinet and authorised Government representatives from Britain, the United States, Australia, China, the Netherlands and New Zealand to formulate policy as a Pacific War Council in Washington.

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Telegram from WSC to the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] suggesting that he has misunderstood the proposed Far Eastern Council and that it would not be a purely advisory body; agreeing to Curtin's request [for an Australian representative on the War Cabinet]; asks if the British Government should put Curtin's suggestion of [a Pacific War Council] to the United States Government.

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Telegram from John Curtin [Prime Minister of Australia] to WSC with the views of the Chiefs of Staff on the threat of Japanese invasion of Australia and on defence: safety depends on maintaining the Allied position in Malaya [later Malaysia] and the Dutch East Indies [later Indonesia], and on the United States Fleet increasing pressure on Japanese southern communications; United States reinforcements required to increase land forces.

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Telegram from the Prime Minister of New Zealand [Peter Fraser] to WSC accepting proposals of 14 January [see CHAR 20/68B/87-89] on the establishment of an Anzac [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] and ABDA [Australian, British, Dutch and Australasian] area and closer contact with United States forces; hopes co-operation will extend beyond the purely naval to fully defeat Japan.

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Telegram from WSC to the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] responding to criticism of Britain's conduct of the war: explains that Malaya [later Malaysia] cannot be defended and only Singapore is vital and supports the decisions of [General Sir Archibald Wavell], Supreme Commander, South West Pacific; discusses the general direction of the war, strategy in the 'Anzac' [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] area and United States naval contribution towards defence.

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Telegram from WSC to the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] with figures for army and air reinforcement of Malaya [later Malaysia].

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Telegram from WSC to the Prime Minister of New Zealand [Peter Fraser] with proposals agreed by the United States Naval Staff and the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] for establishing a new Anzac [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] naval area, including a definition of the area and allocation of forces.

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Telegrams from WSC to John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia, on the safe arrival in Singapore of a convoy including the United States transport ship Mount Vernon; with proposals agreed by United States Naval Staff and the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] for establishing the new Anzac [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] naval area, including a definition of the area and allocation of forces.

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Telegram from General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] to the Chiefs of Staff on his visit to Singapore and meeting with Heath [Lieutenant-General Sir Lewis Heath, 3rd Indian Corps] and Gordon-Bennett [Lieutenant-General [Henry] Gordon Bennett, General Officer Commanding, Australian Imperial Force in Malaya [later Malaysia]]; enemy advancing rapidly, inflicted heavy losses north of Kuala Lumpur; fears for Singapore.

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Telegram from WSC to General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] demanding tighter censorship in Singapore; enquires about defences, plans for retreat; comments on United States confidence in Wavell.

Scope and Contents Typescript copy of telegram from John Curtin to WSC regarding the situation in Malaya [later Malaysia], on the unsuitability of Indian troops for this type of warfare, the fact that the evacuation of Singapore would be an "inexcusable betrayal" and on public feeling of grave uneasiness at Allied impotence to stem the Japanese advance. [Copy may have been produced for use by WSC in writing of "The Second World War", and is backed with typescript of correspondence from Chapter 31 "Japan", of...

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Telegram from WSC to General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] in Batavia [later Djakarta, Java, now part of Indonesia] questioning his refusal of Chinese help in the defence of Burma [later Myanmar] and the Burma Road and explaining the importance attached to China by the United States: "Burma seems in grave danger of being overrun".

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Telegram from General Sir Archibald Wavell, Supreme Commander, South West Pacific, to WSC commenting on the implications for Australian commanders of a plan to establish a Command consisting of the ABDA area [Australian, British, Dutch and Australasian] to include all land and air forces east of Celebes [later Sulawesi, Dutch East Indies, later Indonesia].

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Telegram from the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] to WSC regarding the situation in Malaya [later Malaysia] and New Guinea [later Papua New Guinea and part of Indonesia]: [As CHAR 20/69A/6 but also commenting on the war in the Pacific and requesting more aircraft; ms annotation "Presented as Cabinet Paper"].

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Telegram from WSC to the Prime Minister of New Zealand [Peter Fraser] clarifying the proposal for a Far Eastern Defence Council in London and explaining that no decision can be taken either in Washington [United States] or in London which does not take full account of the views of the Australian, New Zealand and the Netherlands Governments.

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Telegram from the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] to WSC commenting on proposals for a Far Eastern Defence Council and containing comments by Sir Earle Page [Special Australian Envoy to British War Cabinet] in support of a Pacific Council at Washington [United States]. [See CHAR 20/69A/31 for attached note].

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Telegram from Government of New Zealand to WSC regarding their representation in the war against Japan, requiring confirmation that New Zealand would be entitled to make representations to the Far East Council, including affairs in the Anzac [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] and Pacific areas; also on the importance of direct contact with the United States and on the necessity for one co-ordinating authority for land, sea and air forces in the war against Japan.

Scope and Contents Telegram from General Sir Archibald Wavell [Supreme Commander, South West Pacific] to WSC denying that he had refused Chinese help; explains that he had accepted 49 and 93 Divisions in December and that to uncover Yunnan [China] by moving Chinese troops to Burma [later Myanmar] would be unsound; British troops should have been sufficient and it was better to defend Burma with Imperial troops. Wavell agrees that British prestige in China is low, but notes that it will not be increased by the...

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Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] with details of the replies of the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, John Curtin and Peter Fraser, to proposals for a Far Eastern Council in London: "I should be glad to know whether in your opinion these observations ... affect the view ... that co-ordination of the views of these two Governments with those of the Governments of Great Britain and the Netherlands should be effected in London".

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Telegram from the Prime Minister of Australia [John Curtin] to WSC pressing for the allotment of additional aircraft and giving details of operational strength, adding that Australia is left almost defenceless against its enemies.