Yep he may have said that but it doesn't take away from the fact that an earlier agreement between the U.K and our Govt was reneged upon by the U.K leaving us in the lurch and Singapore falling, we all know what happened to the Repulse and the Prince of Wales..........
As at the time of that agreement it was considered by the U.K Japanwas not a threat ! Boy they got that wrong badly, its all in the book The Great Betrayal By David Day just as good reading is The Battle of Brisbane By Thomspon & Macklin where US troops and Aussie diggers had a pretty nasty street fight in WWII with loss of life.