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

Following from Prime Minister to Prime Minister of New Zealand:

Your telegram of 31 December to Washington.²

We are trying our best in consultation with the United States authorities to meet your most urgent requirements. A list of what we and the Americans can do will have reached you already from London.

2. You will see that we have been able to make up a fairly good [group mutilated – instalment?] and will try and do more as soon as we can.

3. It was not possible to consult you more fully about the South-West Pacific Supreme Command as speed of execution was essential, but I hope the results are satisfactory to you.

4. I am trying hard to get the Americans to assume naval responsibility for the area south of the Equator and west of 180 degrees up to the east coast of Australia, and I think they will probably agree. The Australian and New Zealand naval forces in the area would, of course, come under American operational command.

5. I am doing my utmost to build up and restore the Allied position in the Far East as soon as possible. We are all deeply grateful for the splendid courage and loyalty to the mother country shown by New Zealand under stress of danger.