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The acting Prime Minister of New Zealand to the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs

With reference to your telegram of 15 July, His Majesty's Government in New Zealand agree with the proposal to denounce the Anglo-Japanese Commercial Treaty in the event of steps being taken by Japan to obtain bases in Indo-China, and they note from telegram page 39 M.149¹ that an overt act of this nature on the part of Japan will evoke retaliatory action of the kind referred to on the part of the United States Government. If and when notice is given, His Majesty's Government in New Zealand will, as indicated in paragraph 4 of their telegram of 26 April last [No. 23], take a similar step with reference to their trade agreement with Japan, and they would therefore appreciate the earliest advice possible of the date when it is proposed to serve notice on the Japanese Government.