▁achieve ▁this . ▁For ▁the ▁Australian ▁prime ▁minister , ▁John ▁Curt in , ▁the ▁solution ▁lay ▁in ▁transform ing ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁into ▁an ▁institution ▁that ▁would ▁rival ▁the ▁major ▁powers ▁in ▁stat ure ▁and ▁influence . ▁Canadian ▁officials ▁were ▁susp icious ▁of ▁suggestions ▁for ▁closer ▁Commonwealth ▁consult ation , ▁which ▁they ▁fe ared ▁might ▁limit ▁Canada ' s ▁flex ibility ▁in ▁dealing ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Mack en zie ▁King ▁took ▁an ▁even ▁dim mer ▁view ▁of ▁Curt in ' s ▁ideas . ▁Such ▁not ions , ▁he ▁f umed , ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁" d eli ber ate ▁design ... ▁to ▁rev ive ▁an ▁imperial ism ▁which ▁left ▁the ▁Domin ions ▁something ▁less ▁than ▁national ▁so vere ig nt y " ▁and ▁represented ▁" an ▁attack ▁on ▁his ▁personal ▁position ." ▁The ▁difference ▁in ▁approach ▁was ▁even ▁greater ▁at ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁where ▁Ev att ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁free ▁hand ▁in ▁sh aping ▁Australian ▁policy . ▁The ▁out sp oken ▁and ▁comb ative ▁foreign ▁minister ▁preferred ▁to ▁attack ▁head - on ▁the ▁privileges ▁enjoyed ▁by ▁the ▁great ▁powers . ▁At ▁the ▁U . N .' s ▁found ing ▁conference ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁he ▁stub born ly ▁opposed ▁every ▁clause ▁in ▁the ▁U . N .' s ▁char ter ▁that ▁seemed ▁to ▁weak en ▁the ▁new ▁organization ▁or ▁that ▁gave ▁the ▁major ▁powers ▁und ue ▁influence . ▁While ▁some ▁Canadian ▁officials ▁quietly ▁adm ired ▁Ev att ' s ▁determ ination ▁to ▁strength en ▁the ▁U