re ▁of ▁a ▁re construct ed ▁Japan , ▁was ▁anxious ▁to ▁press ▁ahead ▁with ▁a ▁peace ▁settlement ▁that ▁would ▁remove ▁this ▁threat . ▁At ▁a ▁conference ▁in ▁Can ber ra ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁it ▁sought ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁its ▁Commonwealth ▁partners ▁to ▁push ▁the ▁process ▁ahead . ▁Ott awa , ▁however , ▁was ▁dis may ed ▁by ▁the ▁Australian ▁bid ▁to ▁re - f ashion ▁a ▁Commonwealth ▁b loc . ▁Washington ▁was ▁almost ▁certain ▁to ▁res ent ▁the ▁Australian ▁dem ar che , ▁which ▁seemed ▁likely ▁to ▁je op ard ize ▁Ang lo - American ▁co operation ▁as ▁the ▁cold ▁war ▁er upt ed ▁in ▁Europe . ▁This ▁sharp ▁ge ographic ▁difference ▁in ▁focus , ▁which ▁only ▁increased ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁when ▁Canada ▁joined ▁in ▁the ▁discuss ions ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁Tre aty ▁Organ ization , ▁dimin ished ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁bil ater al ▁co operation . ▁Indeed , ▁by ▁the ▁late - 1 9 4 0 s , ▁relations ▁were ▁so ▁stra ined ▁that ▁they ▁became ▁the ▁object ▁of ▁gentle ▁der ision ▁in ▁Ott awa . ▁After ▁a ▁meeting ▁with ▁Princess ▁Elizabeth ▁and ▁the ▁infant ▁Prince ▁Charles , ▁L ester ▁B . ▁Pear son ▁conf essed ▁to ▁his ▁di ary ▁the ▁" ho pe ▁that ▁relations ... ▁were ▁not ▁further ▁dist urbed ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁I ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁baby ▁laugh ▁while ▁[ J . B .] ▁Ch if ley ▁[ C urt in ' s ▁successor ▁as ▁prime