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PRIORITY

EYES ONLY SECRETARY

Your TEDUL 107.

I will advise Eden in accordance with your instructions and provide him with a confirming memorandum. Will omit paragraph four, since Australia and New Zealand have been informed and are participating and our relationship to ANZUS is well understood.

With regard to final paragraph of TEDUL 107, it is completely impossible for me to understand the reasoning which prompts the decision by our Joint Chiefs of Staff that they should downgrade the rank of our representation on these five power staff conferences. Regardless of the actual outcome, the simple fact that very senior military officers of the five powers were meeting in Washington would convince the Russians and Chinese, who inevitably would know about it, that, regardless of protestations or statements to the contrary, we really intended serious business. I really regret this decision more than I can say.

SMITH

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