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The New Zealand Minister, Washington, to the Prime Minister

1. Admiral King advises me that up to the present nothing has been done at Funafuti.

Action at Wallis is apparently held up by discussions with the Free French.

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3. I stressed the need for Futuna to be protected.

4. I advised the Admiral that New Zealand would favourably consider the proposal for the transfer of the defence of Fiji and Tonga to the United States Forces and would be pleased to examine details of the transfer. He advised me that the President also had approved the change. I have to discuss the subject further at 11 a.m. tomorrow, Friday morning, and would be pleased if you would communicate with the United Kingdom with a view to if possible obtaining their reaction tonight. In any case, the islands are in the area for which the United States have strategic responsibility, and Admiral King's decisions, if approved by the President, must be carried out. I will cable you again after the discussion tomorrow.