- 1. THURSDAY, 27TH NOVEMBER 1924
- 27 November 1924
- ‘27th November, 1924 My dear P.M., I write this private note to tell you that I have arrived-and am over the most acute stage of official introductions-Sir J.C. [1] has been most helpful from the start-and is making the way easy as far as he can. I think quite luckily...’
- 2. THURSDAY, 4TH DECEMBER 1924
- 4 December 1924
- ‘4th December, 1924 SECRET Dear Mr. Bruce, I am installed as you know with a room in the Cabinet Secretariat Offices at 2, Whitehall Gardens, and so have the advantage of being in close touch with Sir Maurice Hankey [1], who is doing everything he can to forward the liaison...’
- 3. THURSDAY, 4TH DECEMBER 1924
- 4 December 1924
- ‘4th December, 1924 Dear Mr. Bruce, CYPHER Both the Foreign Office and the Colonial Office have raised the point that they do not wish secret information to go by cable to you in any other cypher than one approved by themselves. They do not approve the cypher ‘B’, the one...’
- 4. WEDNESDAY, 10TH DECEMBER 1924
- 10 December 1924
- ‘10th December, 1924 CONFIDENTIAL My dear Prime Minister, Further to my letter of to-day addressed to the Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Department. I spent the week-end with Sir Maurice Hankey [1] in the country. I write you this personal and confidential note mainly to tell you what transpired. With...’
- 5. TUESDAY, 16TH DECEMBER 1924
- 16 December 1924
- ‘16th December, 1924 Dear Mr. Bruce, FRENCH SECURITY AND THE PROTOCOL Discussion on the Protocol [1] and cognate subjects is being actively continued, although it is universally admitted in confidence that the Protocol in anything like its present form is a dead letter as far as we are concerned. It...’
- 6. WEDNESDAY, 31ST DECEMBER 1924
- 31 December 1924
- ‘31st December, 1924 My dear P.M., Since the Times came out with an announcement in today’s issue [1], I have been bombarded with Representatives of the various Cable agencies which send news to Australia-but I have said nothing at all to them-and explained to them that any publicity at the...’
- 7. WEDNESDAY, 31ST DECEMBER 1924
- 31 December 1924
- ‘31st December, 1924 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne 31.1.25) Dear Mr. Bruce, YOUR CABLE OF 27TH DECEMBER RE KYLSANT [1] There is really very little for me to add to my two cables in reply. On receipt of your cable on Saturday night, 27th December, I spoke to Kylsant in...’
- 8. TUESDAY, 20TH JANUARY 1925
- 20 January 1925
- ‘20th January, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne 21.2.25) My dear P.M., I have been here now for two months, and although it is still early in the day to start reviewing the position, I am going to try and do so, as much to crystallise my own mind as...’
- 9. THURSDAY, 5TH FEBRUARY 1925
- 5 February 1925
- ‘5th February, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne 7.3.25) My dear P.M., SIR EYRE CROWE [1] He is the great opponent of compulsory international arbitration. Whilst listening to his forcibly expressed views, one might be hearing the views of one of the many opponents of industrial arbitration in Australia. Such...’
- 10. WEDNESDAY, 11TH FEBRUARY 1925
- 11 February 1925
- ‘11th February, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne 14.3.25) My dear P.M., I write to tell you that I had the honour of an audience with the King on Monday, the 9th instant. This, I think, arose out of correspondence which the King initiated with Hankey [1], commencing with queries...’
- 11. WEDNESDAY, 11TH FEBRUARY 1925
- 11 February 1925
- ‘11th February, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne 14.3.25) My dear P.M., SECRECY OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS It has been pointed out to me that, whilst the secrecy of the majority of documents depends on their freshness and evaporates with time, there are others which are from their nature never to...’
- 12. THURSDAY, 19TH FEBRUARY 1925
- 19 February 1925
- ‘19th February, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne 21.3.25) My dear P.M., A point that I thought it as well not to put in the paragraph in the official letter going to you on the subject of the Protocol [1] by this mail was the following fact, which I think...’
- 13. TUESDAY, 24TH FEBRUARY 1925
- 24 February 1925
- ‘24th February, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne 28.3.25) My dear P.M., Just a short note to you as to my plans. I think it would be a distinct help to me in the work here if I were to take advantage of invitations that I have to spend a...’
- 14. WEDNESDAY, 25TH FEBRUARY 1925
- 25 February 1925
- ‘25th February, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., J. H. THOMAS [1] I presented your letter of introduction to Mr. Thomas a day or so ago and had an interesting conversation with him this morning. With regard to the recent internal trouble in the Labour Party in this country and the...’
- 15. WEDNESDAY, 4TH MARCH 1925
- 4 March 1925
- ‘4th March, 1925 (Due to arrive Melbourne 4.4.25) My dear P.M., This sets out to be rather a random letter and will probably contain a good deal of gossip. The only thing of any real importance that has been going on in my field of view in the last month...’
- 16. THURSDAY, 19TH MARCH 1925
- 19 March 1925
- ‘19th March, 1925 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-18.4.25) My dear P.M., NAVAL DEFENCE IN FAR EAST I write to let you know that a series of most important questions have been handed down from the Cabinet to the Committee of Imperial Defence for investigation. [1] In general terms,...’
- 17. THURSDAY, 16TH APRIL 1925
- 16 April 1925
- ‘16th April, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-16.5.25) My dear P.M., I think it worth while to tell you that I have met a rather remarkable man in the shape of H. Seymour Berry, whom you may have heard of. He is a Welsh coal owner of great magnitude, and...’
- 18. WEDNESDAY, 22ND APRIL 1925
- 22 April 1925
- ‘22nd April, 1925 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-26.5.25) My dear P.M., I write to give you a short resume of my small affairs at this end. The work is now on a routine basis. The quantity (and quality) of what is going to you is about the full...’
- 19. FRIDAY, 1ST MAY 1925
- 1 May 1925
- ‘3oth April, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-30.5.25) My dear P.M., I write on a few general topics. You will be sorry to hear that Sir Eyre Crowe, Permanent Under- Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, died on April 28th after a brief final illness. His condition for some time...’
- 20. THURSDAY, 7TH MAY 1925
- 7 May 1925
- ‘7th May, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-6.6.25) My dear P.M., A note to give you one or two items which require to be apart from the other letters. At yesterday’s Cabinet, Singapore was discussed, and it was decided to go ahead at a normal reasonable rate of construction. The...’
- 21. THURSDAY, 14TH MAY 1925
- 14 May 1925
- ‘14th May, 1925 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-13.6.25) My dear P.M., I drove Sir Maurice [1] and Lady Hankey down to General Seely’s [2] place in the Isle of Wight for the last week-end. He has a moderately large but very pleasant place on the south- west of...’
- 22. THURSDAY, 28TH MAY 1925
- 28 May 1925
- ‘28th May, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-27.6.25) My dear P.M., I met Sir John Baird [1] on 20th May. He put a large number of questions to me about conditions in Australia. He indicated that his close contact with the members of the Government and members of Parliament generally...’
- 23. THURSDAY, 11TH JUNE 1925
- 11 June 1925
- ‘11th June, 1925 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-11.7.25) My dear P.M., My dinner to Sir John Baird [1] went off quite reasonably well and he appeared to ‘mix’ well. People who meet him seem to like him. Lady Ethel Baird seems a very pleasant woman. She is daughter...’
- 24. THURSDAY, 25TH JUNE 1925
- 25 June 1925
- ‘25th June, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-26.7.25) My dear P.M., COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES My queries on some points connected with the weekly report on Communist activities in this country and abroad led me to visit Sir William Horwood’s [1] office in New Scotland Yard, on Hankey’s [2] introduction. There I...’
- 25. THURSDAY, 2ND JULY 1925
- 2 July 1925
- ‘2nd July, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-1.8.25) My dear P.M., There will be nothing very profound in this letter, so do not read it if you are busy. In this regard, I sometimes feel rather guilty in sending you the volume of matter that I do. However, you have...’
- 26. THURSDAY, 9TH JULY 1925
- 9 July 1925
- ‘9th July, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-9.8.25) My dear P.M., The new Committee of Civil Research (the ‘Civil C.I.D.’), with Tom Jones [1] as Secretary, is getting into its stride. I enclose copy of Lords’ Debate in which notable speeches by Lord Haldane [2] and Lord Balfour [3] were...’
- 27. THURSDAY, 23RD JULY 1925
- 23 July 1925
- ‘23rd July, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (due to arrive Melbourne-22/8/25) My dear P.M., I spent the last week-end at Lady Northcote’s [1] place at Eastbourne where she had an interesting collection of people. The American Ambassador [2] and Mrs. Houghton, the Duchess of Norfolk [3], Lord Darling [4], Sir Arthur Stanley [5]...’
- 28. THURSDAY, 30TH JULY 1925
- 30 July 1925
- ‘30th July, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (due to arrive Melbourne-29/8/25) My dear P.M., I met Signor Nitti [1] at lunch recently. He is short and stout and hardly the figure of hot blooded romance that he is rumoured to be. You will remember that the Fascists tried to assassinate him, but he...’
- 29. THURSDAY, 6TH AUGUST 1925
- 6 August 1925
- ‘6th August, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-5.9.25) My dear P.M., The inner history of the final stages of the Coal dispute [1] was as follows. The men and the owners both stood firm up to the last. A special Cabinet was held 24 hours prior to the date of...’
- 30. THURSDAY, 20TH AUGUST 1925
- 20 August 1925
- ‘20th August, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-19.9.25) My dear P.M., Another onslaught is to be made on the Air Force as a separate arm in October or November. The plans are not yet finalised, but Hankey [1] tells me that it is probable that Cavan [2] and Beatty [3]...’
- 31. THURSDAY, 27TH AUGUST 1925
- 27 August 1925
- ‘27th August, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-26.9.25) My dear P.M., Smit [1] (South African High Commissioner) has evidently obtained permission from his P.M. to be informed on Foreign Affairs by the Foreign Office. Chamberlain [2] sent a note from the country to the Central Department a few days ago...’
- 32. THURSDAY, 8TH OCTOBER 1925
- 8 October 1925
- ‘8th October, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-7.11.25) My dear P.M., This letter will contain nothing that you need read prior to the Election. [1] It will be simply a collection of impressions of the League Assembly. I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to attend an Assembly....’
- 33. THURSDAY, 8TH OCTOBER 1925
- 8 October 1925
- ‘8th October, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-7.11.25) My dear P.M., Nothing in this letter is of any immediate importance. This country is in a most depressed state. The big industries are just carrying and no more. Tom Jones [1], who has a very wide circle of friends who feed...’
- 34. THURSDAY, 15TH OCTOBER 1925
- 15 October 1925
- ‘15th October, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-14.11.25) My dear P.M., The Government in this country has been increasingly Criticised these last three months. To the list of its critics (besides the Beaverbrook [1] and Rothermere [2] press) must now be added the ‘Observer’ and ‘Sunday Times’. The attitude of...’
- 35. THURSDAY, 22ND OCTOBER 1925
- 22 October 1925
- ‘22nd October, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-21.11.25) My dear P.M., The question of economy has taken up a good deal of the Cabinet’s time in the last week or so. The Economy Committee of the Cabinet and the Cabinet itself have been considering it. I am told in confidence...’
- 36. THURSDAY, 29TH OCTOBER 1925
- 29 October 1925
- ‘29th October, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-28.11.25) My dear P.M., The Greek-Bulgar border incident [1] has been of interest in bringing out the welcome difference that exists between such a dispute now (with the League of Nations in existence) and before the War. I understand from the Central Department...’
- 37. THURSDAY, 5TH NOVEMBER 1925
- 5 November 1925
- ‘5th November, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-5.12.25) My dear P.M., I have seen Mr. Amery [1] and Mr. Chamberlain [2], Tyrrell [3], Davis [4], Wellesley [5], Hankey [6] and others in this last week in connection with sounding them on their reactions to the various suggestions for possible extension...’
- 38. THURSDAY, 12TH NOVEMBER 1925
- 12 November 1925
- ‘12th November, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-12.12.25) My dear P.M., If you colour a map of the world with the same colour for both British and American possessions, you get rather a startling result. The necessity for a real Anglo-American understanding has always been one of my few convictions....’
- 39. THURSDAY, 19TH NOVEMBER 1925
- 19 November 1925
- ‘19th November, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-19.12.25) My dear P.M., I enclose copy of what I think is a very valuable report dealing with America. The bulk of the report consists of ‘vitalised’ statistics-a simply worded exposition of what some of America’s more important recorded figures of her industrial...’
- 40. THURSDAY, 19TH NOVEMBER 1925
- 19 November 1925
- ‘19th November, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-19.12.25) My dear P.M., My very hearty congratulations. You have done a wonderful job of work, and it is fully realised in this country. [1] The only discordant note in the press was a short leader in the ‘Westminster Gazette’, which I enclose,...’
- 41. THURSDAY, 26TH NOVEMBER 1925
- 26 November 1925
- ‘26th November, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-26.12.25) My dear P.M., There is no doubt that you will have the floor practically to yourself at the next Imperial Conference. Your election has created great interest here, and if I had to generalise as to the effect of it all on...’
- 42. THURSDAY, 10TH DECEMBER 1925
- 10 December 1925
- ‘10th December, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-9.1.26) My dear P.M., 1. The outstanding events lately have been Queen Alexandra’s [1] death and the Locarno Pact [2] signing. The London Press appeared to me to run wild over Queen Alexandra’s death. The sob stuff was, in my opinion, overdone and...’
- 43. THURSDAY, 10TH DECEMBER 1925
- 10 December 1925
- ‘10th December, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-9.1.26) My dear P.M., I do not want to continue to bother you by sending all this Communist material [1] addressed personally to you, so that you are practically obliged to read it before passing it to Major Jones. [2] Could I not...’
- 44. THURSDAY, 17TH DECEMBER 1925
- 17 December 1925
- ‘17th December, 1925 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-16.1.26) My dear P.M., 1. Today’s press announces the arrival of Tokugawa in Australia, with a blast of trumpets and an uplift message from Kato. We’re getting so friendly that they will be sending a Japanese squadron down to visit Australian ports, and...’
- 45. THURSDAY, 7TH JANUARY 1926
- 7 January 1926
- ‘7th January, 1926 7th January ‘26 [Handwritten from the Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall Mall] My dear P.M., I write on a subject that has been in my mind for some time, but about which I have hesitated to write to you. However I think you will not misunderstand my...’
- 46. THURSDAY, 7TH JANUARY 1926
- 7 January 1926
- ‘7th January, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-6.2.26) My dear P.M., I would like to draw your attention to a despatch from Berlin (C.15928/459/18) that I send by this mail. It is of no immediate importance, but is an interesting and penetrating analysis of the German mentality by Addison [1],...’
- 47. THURSDAY, 14TH JANUARY 1926
- 14 January 1926
- ‘14th January, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-13.2.26) My dear P.M., With regard to the question of adherence on the part of the Dominions to the Pact, Tyrrell [1], with whom I discussed it this week, would like to see Australia and N.Z. support Great Britain by adherence even if...’
- 48. THURSDAY, 21ST JANUARY 1926
- 21 January 1926
- ‘21st January, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-20.2.26) My dear P.M., I was on the point of telegraphing you a full summary of Mackenzie King’s telegram re Pact and the Imperial Conference [1], when Sir Charles Davis [2] (Dominions Office) sent me a message saying that he expected I would...’
- 49. THURSDAY, 28TH JANUARY 1926
- 28 January 1926
- ‘28th January, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-27.2.26) My dear P.M., Most people seem to have made up their minds that there is going to be trouble here in May, when the Coal subsidy is due to end. [1] The ‘coming upheaval’, ‘serious times ahead’ are spoken of in all...’
- 50. THURSDAY, 4TH FEBRUARY 1926
- 4 February 1926
- ‘4th February, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-5.3.26) My dear P.M., I discussed yesterday with Sir Cecil Hurst [1] and Malkin [2] the particular way in which a Dominion would be involved by reason of accession to the Locarno Pact. In the first place, Hurst was rather inclined to admit...’
- 51. THURSDAY, 11TH FEBRUARY 1926
- 11 February 1926
- ‘11th February, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-13.3.26) My dear P.M., Many thanks for your handwritten letter from Frankston of January 1st which I was particularly glad to get. [1] I am very pleased that you think the appointment at this end has been useful and justified by results, and...’
- 52. THURSDAY, 18TH FEBRUARY 1926
- 18 February 1926
- ‘18th February, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-20.3.26) My dear P.M., Your telegram asking urgently for the date of Sir George Buchanan’s [1] expulsion from the Institute of Civil Engineers arrived at 2 p.m. on Saturday last. I spent till 8 p.m. trying all conceivable means of getting the information...’
- 53. THURSDAY, 25TH FEBRUARY 1926
- 25 February 1926
- ‘25th February, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-27.3.26) My dear P.M., It seems generally recognised that Colonel Jackson [1], the Chairman of the Conservative Party, is no use. This is certainly one reason why things move so slowly with his Government-there is no centralised party driving force to spur on...’
- 54. THURSDAY, 4TH MARCH 1926
- 4 March 1926
- ‘4th March, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-3.4.26) My dear P.M., Amongst my letters by this mail you will see one on Abyssinia that constitutes an outline story of the machinations of the great Powers in Abyssinia in recent years. It all seems to me a typical- and inevitablemanoeuvre on...’
- 55. THURSDAY, 25TH MARCH 1926
- 25 March 1926
- ‘25th March, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-24.4.26) My dear P.M., This sets out to be a letter on the Geneva Assembly on points other than the main issue of getting Germany in. 2. A League meeting at Geneva serves as a useful barometer to indicate how imperfect our Imperial...’
- 56. THURSDAY, 25TH MARCH 1926
- 25 March 1926
- ‘25th March, 1926 PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-24.4.26) My dear P.M., INFORMATION LEAK RE NEW AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING SCHEME [1] The investigation of this leak was taken up vigorously at this end. Hankey [2] took the matter up with the Prime Minister [3], who conferred with the Attorney-General [4],...’
- 57. THURSDAY, 25TH MARCH 1926
- 25 March 1926
- ‘25th March, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-24.4.26) My dear P.M., This is merely the lighter side of Geneva. I had a little amusement with Theodoli [1] (Chairman, Permanent Mandates Commission) at lunch one day. At a convenient time during the meal, I asked him how the Mandates Commission would...’
- 58. THURSDAY, 25TH MARCH 1926
- 25 March 1926
- ‘25th March, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-24.4.26) My dear P.M., I feel that it would be very cold porridge to confine myself to a dreary reiteration of the suggestions and countersuggestions that made up the Special March Assembly of the League. A mere catalogue of the efforts made to...’
- 59. THURSDAY, 25TH MARCH 1926
- 25 March 1926
- ‘25th March, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-24.4.26) My dear P.M., Chamberlain [1] got through the ordeal of the Geneva Debate in the House of Commons very luckily and well. The F.O. were quaking with fear for days beforehand, as they saw visions and dreamt bad dreams of Austen going...’
- 60. THURSDAY, 25TH MARCH 1926
- 25 March 1926
- ‘25th March, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-24.4.26) My dear P.M., Many thanks for your long letter of 16th January. [1] I am very glad to know the way your mind is working on the several important problems you speak about. With regard to your American trip, I will try...’
- 61. THURSDAY, 1ST APRIL 1926
- 1 April 1926
- ‘1st April, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-1.5.26) My dear P.M., I have had several conversations with Dr. Riddell [1] (Canadian permanent representative at Geneva), with regard to the Canadian attitude towards the Empire. He says that the Canadian slogan is ‘Equal partnership status within the British Group’. He says...’
- 62. THURSDAY, 8TH APRIL 1926
- 8 April 1926
- ‘8th April, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-8.5.26) My dear P.M., I have given a letter of introduction to you to J. Harper Bean, C.B.E., the Managing Director of A. Harper, Sons & Bean, Ltd., who is just setting out on a world trip with Australia as his principal object....’
- 63. THURSDAY, 15TH APRIL 1926
- 15 April 1926
- ‘15th April, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-15.5.26) My dear P.M., Surely these last few years have seen more political treaties concluded than any ordinary fifty years. The German-Russian Treaty, now in course of negotiation, is causing some misgiving here and the utmost annoyance in France and Poland. [1] The...’
- 64. THURSDAY, 22ND APRIL 1926
- 22 April 1926
- ‘22nd April, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-22.5.26) My dear P.M., You will notice in the press cuttings the increasing amount of publicity given to Italy’s ‘expansionist’ threats. As I have mentioned repeatedly in these letters, the movement has been gathering force for some time and has, of course, been...’
- 65. THURSDAY, 29TH APRIL 1926
- 29 April 1926
- ‘29th April, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-29.5.26) My dear P.M., I talked recently to Egerton [1] (Director of Plans, Admiralty). He is working on a draft programme for the Singapore Base that he hopes to get passed by Beatty [2] and through the C.I.D. and Cabinet before long, so...’
- 66. THURSDAY, 6TH MAY 1926
- 6 May 1926
- ‘6th May 1926 My dear P.M., I write to thank you for your personal handwritten letter of March 20th. [1] I quite understand-and am glad you took my suggestion in the spirit in which it was made. I was a little anxious about that. The disability you mention was clear...’
- 67. THURSDAY, 13TH MAY 1926
- 13 May 1926
- ‘13th May, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-12.6.26) My dear P.M., I write hurriedly to catch a mail which goes out just a few hours after the General Strike [1] has ended. It was a half-hearted strike from the very first. Although it caused a good deal of inconvenience and...’
- 68. THURSDAY, 27TH MAY 1926
- 27 May 1926
- ‘27th May, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-26.6.26) My dear P.M., I must draw your attention to an important despatch from Sir Charles Eliot [1], H.M. retiring Ambassador at Tokyo- (F.1164/949/23 of March 19th)-copy of which goes to you officially by this mail. After six years as Ambassador to Japan,...’
- 69. THURSDAY, 27TH MAY 1926
- 27 May 1926
- ‘27th May, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-26.6.26) My dear P.M., As I did not feel competent to write up the inner history of the General Strike and the events which led up to it, I asked Tom Jones [1] if he would put something on paper for me to...’
- 70. THURSDAY, 3RD JUNE 1926
- 3 June 1926
- ‘3rd June, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-3.7.26) My dear P.M., GENERAL STRIKE Reference my LON. 357 [1] of last week. I now attach record of conversations with Mr. S. G. Tallents. I am, Yours sincerely, R. G. CASEY [Enclosure A] GENERAL STRIKE Record of conversations with S. G. Tallents,...’
- 71. THURSDAY, 3RD JUNE 1926
- 3 June 1926
- ‘3rd June, 1926 PERSONAL CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-3.7.26) My dear P.M., I think I should tell you that Henderson [1], in his private letters to me, does not seem to be very happy. In fact he hinted in a recent letter that he felt that he did not want...’
- 72. THURSDAY, 3RD JUNE 1926
- 3 June 1926
- ‘3rd June, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-3.7.26) My dear P.M., Desmond Fitzgerald [1] was in London last week and in conversation with Batterbee [2] of the Dominions Office, suggested that it would be a good thing if Chamberlain [3] were to see representatives of the Dominions on his return...’
- 73. THURSDAY, 10TH JUNE 1926
- 10 June 1926
- ‘10th June, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-10.7.26) My dear P.M., I have just had half-an-hour with Sir Frank Heath. [1] I had read his report previously. He is very delighted with the results of his trip to Australia and asked me to express to you again, in the most...’
- 74. THURSDAY, 17TH JUNE 1926
- 17 June 1926
- ‘17th June, 1926 CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Melbourne-19.7.26) My dear P.M., I lunched privately with Sir Sefton Brancker yesterday-the Controller of Civil Aviation. He had been going into the suggestion that I threw out to Sir Hugh Trenchard [1]-that the Ismailia-Karachi air service should be extended in the first place...’
- 75. WEDNESDAY, 19TH JANUARY 1927
- 19 January 1927
- ‘19th January, 1927 CONFIDENTIAL [Handwritten] 19th Jan. 1927 My dear P.M., I have just woken up to the fact that I am subjecting you to an increasing bombardment of material in the form of personal letters. You said once before that you liked this form of attack- but I am...’
- 76. WEDNESDAY, 14TH DECEMBER 1927
- 14 December 1927
- ‘14th December, 1927 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I arrived here on 10th December, as arranged, after a useful trip. I saw the west coast of Australia from the air, had a rapid 48- hours look through Java by train and car, stayed with Sir Hugh Clifford [1] and...’
- 77. WEDNESDAY, 14TH DECEMBER 1927
- 14 December 1927
- ‘14th December, 1927 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., EGYPT I lunched with Lord Lloyd [1] in Cairo the day after his return from London to Egypt. In the course of a long conversation after lunch he opened the subject of an Australasian representative being attached to the High Commissioner’s...’
- 78. THURSDAY, 15TH DECEMBER 1927
- 15 December 1927
- ‘15th December, 1927 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I arrive here to find Hankey [1] very obsessed and worried over a subject which he says is giving him more concern than any other that he remembers -one, he says, about which he will resign his job rather than submit....’
- 79. WEDNESDAY, 21ST DECEMBER 1927
- 21 December 1927
- ‘21st December, 1927 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Parliament has recently been convulsed by its efforts to decide whether or not to revise the Prayer Book, and eventually decided not to. The question raised a storm of interest and even passion that was very surprising -to me at least....’
- 80. THURSDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 1927
- 22 December 1927
- ‘22nd December, 1927 CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., The question of the future of this External Affairs service has been rather on my mind. I think the real difficulty about keeping people in the service is that of the lack of appointment for promotion. You may say that it would be...’
- 81. THURSDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 1927
- 22 December 1927
- ‘22nd December, 1927 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., BRITISH BLOCKADE RIGHTS AT SEA You will, I feel sure, be as astounded as I have been at this subject becoming a matter for serious discussion. [1] It is just as if the chastity of some old and high respectable matron...’
- 82. THURSDAY, 22ND DECEMBER 1927
- 22 December 1927
- ‘22nd December, 1927 CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Whilst in Vienna I heard several versions, varying only in detail, of the civil disturbance that occurred there this year, in which nearly one hundred people were killed mostly by rifle and machine gun fire turned on them by the police. [1] The...’
- 83. THURSDAY, 29TH DECEMBER 1927
- 29 December 1927
- ‘29th December, 1927 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Everything has been closed since I last wrote and there is nothing much to say this week. Hankey [1] and all Ministers have been and are still away. I have several matters in hand but none sufficiently advanced to tell you...’
- 84. THURSDAY, 5TH JANUARY 1928
- 5 January 1928
- ‘5th January, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I lunched today with Sir Alan Anderson [1] and hasten to send a few lines to you on one of the subjects that we talked about. He said that he had lately been rather struck by the suspicion with which certain...’
- 85. THURSDAY, 5TH JANUARY 1928
- 5 January 1928
- ‘5th January, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., There have been no further stirrings of mind on the blockade question [1] in the F.O. or elsewhere. No more official memoranda have been written. I send one or two press cuttings in this connection. I have been to see the...’
- 86. THURSDAY, 5TH JANUARY 1928
- 5 January 1928
- ‘5th January, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Lord Stamfordham, the King’s Private Secretary, is 78 and is ineffective through age. He has in years gone by served the King well and was a wise adviser. The King is too fond of him to retire him and so he...’
- 87. THURSDAY, 12TH JANUARY 1928
- 12 January 1928
- ‘12th January, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I had an interesting talk at lunch yesterday to Colonel Piggott [1], who was Military Attache at Tokyo until a year ago and is now the second man in Military Intelligence at the War Office. He repeats what I have so...’
- 88. THURSDAY, 12TH JANUARY 1928
- 12 January 1928
- ‘12th January, 1928 My dear P.M., Defence of Ports: I remember that in conversation with you before I left Canberra, the fact that you had done nothing to implement the Australian Coast Defence Report (C.I.D.) [1] seemed to be rather on your consciencethis combined with your known desire for economy...’
- 89. THURSDAY, 19TH JANUARY 1928
- 19 January 1928
- ‘19th January, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I had a long conversation with Sir Hugh Trenchard [1] this week. He regards his struggle with the Admiralty quite philosophically. He doesn’t think he can win any definite and dramatic battle with the Admiralty on the question of air power...’
- 90. WEDNESDAY, 25TH JANUARY 1928
- 25 January 1928
- ‘25th January, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My Dear P.M., Hankey [1] and Tyrrell [2] lunched with me yesterday and an interesting talk followed-an hour’s roaming after-lunch talk on no set lines. Tyrrell said that next to the Americans we were the most unpopular people in the world-and rightly so-as we...’
- 91. THURSDAY, 26TH JANUARY 1928
- 26 January 1928
- ‘26th January, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Before the others arrived at lunch yesterday, Sir Alan Anderson [1] opened the subject again of the sale of the Australian Commonwealth Line and the participation of the Commonwealth Government in the capital of the Orient Company. When he had said...’
- 92. THURSDAY, 2ND FEBRUARY 1928
- 2 February 1928
- ‘2nd February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Philip Kerr [1] has recently returned from a trip to the United States and Canada and has had a long talk to Hankey [2] about it- the gist of which was as follows. The Washington Conference to reconsider the Naval Disarmament...’
- 93. WEDNESDAY, 8TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 8 February 1928
- ‘8th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Hankey [1] had a heart to heart after-dinner conversation a few days ago with an ex-Minister in the late Labour Government, from whom he got the definite impression that they are not at all hopeful about their chances at the next...’
- 94. WEDNESDAY, 8TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 8 February 1928
- ‘8th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., In connection with my attempt to get some information on the effect of international finance on the cause of peace, I got in touch, through Hankey [1], with Grigg [2], Winston Churchill’s [3] very able Private Secretary, and discussed with both...’
- 95. THURSDAY, 9TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 9 February 1928
- ‘9th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., In the King’s Speech on the opening of Parliament this week, there is a brief mention of Rating Reform-‘…The burdens imposed upon industry and agriculture by the present incidence of local rates have attracted the anxious attention of My Ministers. They...’
- 96. WEDNESDAY, 15TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 15 February 1928
- ‘15th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., A criticism of the work of the British Diplomatic Service abroad that has occurred to me from time to time is that it continues to confine itself too narrowly to diplomacy. As one goes back into the past, long before the...’
- 97. WEDNESDAY, 15TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 15 February 1928
- ‘15th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I have just read ‘Mother India’ by Miss Katherine Mayo [1], an American woman whom I met in London a few years ago when she was on her way to India to collect the material for this book. It is a...’
- 98. WEDNESDAY, 15TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 15 February 1928
- ‘15th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Since I wrote you about what Hankey [1] had told me of Philip Kerr’s ideas [2], I have had a long session with him in which he repeated what he had said to Hankey. The gist of the rest of what...’
- 99. WEDNESDAY, 15TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 15 February 1928
- ‘15th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., THE INFLUENCE OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCE ON PEACE AND WAR I attach hereto the notes of a conversation with R.G. Hawtrey [1] of the Treasury on this subject. I also enclose letter from Mr. Montagu Norman [2] covering some relevant notes. A...’
- 100. THURSDAY, 16TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 16 February 1928
- ‘16th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Again on the subject of the Duke of York and the possibility of his being allowed by the King to take a Governor-Generalship in one of the Dominions. I have it on the best authority that, prior to the last Imperial...’
- 101. THURSDAY, 23RD FEBRUARY 1928
- 23 February 1928
- ‘23rd February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., MOND INDUSTRIAL ENQUIRY [1] Reference your telegram of 17th February, asking for particulars of organisation and agenda of above. The information contained in my two telegrams (of 17th and 20th February) was put together after consultation with Mr. Conway Davies, Secretary...’
- 102. THURSDAY, 23RD FEBRUARY 1928
- 23 February 1928
- ‘23rd February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I send you reprint of Low’s [1] cartoon-‘Tales of the Dominions’-a few copies of which the Editor of the ‘Evening Standard’ let me have. I tried to get the original but the Prime Minister [2] got in ahead of me. It...’
- 103. THURSDAY, 23RD FEBRUARY 1928
- 23 February 1928
- ‘23rd February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., In the ‘Argus’ of 14th January I read ‘An emphatic statement that the Federal Ministry does not contemplate following the example of Canada in appointing diplomatic representatives in other countries was made yesterday by the Prime Minister’. The enclosed copy of...’
- 104. THURSDAY, 23RD FEBRUARY 1928
- 23 February 1928
- ‘23rd February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I haven’t had an opportunity to get any further ahead with the enquiry into the effects of large scale finance and business on international affairs. There are so few people whom it is worth while approaching and these few are not...’
- 105. THURSDAY, 23RD FEBRUARY 1928
- 23 February 1928
- ‘23rd February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Sir William Tyrrell [1] goes to Paris and Sir Ronald Lindsay from Berlin to take his place at the Foreign Office. So the great secret is out that has been intriguing this part of the world for some time. Everyone speaks...’
- 106. WEDNESDAY, 29TH FEBRUARY 1928
- 29 February 1928
- ‘29th February, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL [Handwritten] My dear P.M., I gather that you will come to no decision about your future representation in the U.S. until after you have discussed the matter with Sir Hugh Denison [1]-who will not arrive in Australia until early in May. But in case...’
- 107. THURSDAY, 1ST MARCH 1928
- 1 March 1928
- ‘1st March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I saw Mr. J. H. Thomas [1] this morning, primarily with regard to the Mond Industrial Conference. [2] He gave me, confidentially, the enclosed two papers, which will be of interest to such people connected with your Industrial Conference [3] as...’
- 108. THURSDAY, 1ST MARCH 1928
- 1 March 1928
- ‘1st March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., In continuation of my talk to Mr. Thomas. [1] He said: ‘Why ever did Bruce ask Amery [2] for industrialists only on the Big Four [3] who are going to Australia? Why didn’t he ask for at least one Labour man?’...’
- 109. THURSDAY, 1ST MARCH 1928
- 1 March 1928
- ‘1st March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I had a talk to Sir Hugo Hirst [1] a few days ago about which I sent you a telegram with reference to your Industrial Conference. He told me that he had decided to accept the invitation to be one of...’
- 110. THURSDAY, 1ST MARCH 1928
- 1 March 1928
- ‘1st March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Sir Hugh Denison [1] came to see me at this office this morning and, in the course of conversation, disclosed what was in his mind about our representation in America. He is firmly of opinion that Australia should establish a Legation...’
- 111. THURSDAY, 8TH MARCH 1928
- 8 March 1928
- ‘8th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., There is not very much new to say about Italy. Relations with all her neighbours are still bad. Mussolini has just made another outburst-this time against Austria, in answer to interpellations in the Austrian Parliament commenting on the rather brutal Italianisation...’
- 112. THURSDAY, 8TH MARCH 1928
- 8 March 1928
- ‘8th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., AIR DEFENCES OF AUSTRALIA I enclose ‘Times’ announcement of Sir John Salmond’s mission to Australia. [1] A Senior Officer of the Staff of the Imperial Defence College, of whom Hankey [2] has a high opinion (but whom I am asked to...’
- 113. THURSDAY, 8TH MARCH 1928
- 8 March 1928
- ‘8th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Reading lately ‘The Economic Problem’ by R.G. Hawtrey [1] of the Treasury, I came on the following- The preference arising from a common sovereignty is illustrated by the Colonial Stock Acts, which make the national debts of the Dominions and other...’
- 114. THURSDAY, 8TH MARCH 1928
- 8 March 1928
- ‘8th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., The other letters that I send by this mail are as follows:- LATIN AMERICA AND THE MONROE DOCTRINE Recording protests by both Argentine and Mexico at the employment of the term ‘Monroe Doctrine’ in international documents. They take the stand that...’
- 115. TUESDAY, 13TH MARCH 1928
- 13 March 1928
- ‘13th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., AMERICAN CAPITAL IN GREAT BRITAIN It may interest you to know that His Majesty’s Government has under consideration the problem arising out of the fact that American capital is becoming increasingly interested in the acquisition of electrical undertakings in this country....’
- 116. THURSDAY, 15TH MARCH 1928
- 15 March 1928
- ‘15th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Hankey [1] has had the reading of Ronaldshay’s [2] three volume biography of Curzon [3], in order to censor any references that it might be ill-advised to publish from the point of view of His Majesty’s Government. The first volume is...’
- 117. THURSDAY, 15TH MARCH 1928
- 15 March 1928
- ‘15th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., My other letters by this mail are as under:- IRISH FREE STATE A statement of the position as it is today between His Majesty’s Government and the Irish Free State, with emphasis on the important outstanding question of Naval Defence. COMMUNIST...’
- 118. THURSDAY, 22ND MARCH 1928
- 22 March 1928
- ‘22nd March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., The Dominions Office sent you a despatch by the last mail, in which they advised that the French Government had offered a decoration to Captain Robins, R.A.N., to mark their appreciation of something that he did in the New Hebrides in...’
- 119. THURSDAY, 29TH MARCH 1928
- 29 March 1928
- ‘29th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., In the ‘Times’ of March 15th there appeared an important article by Seydoux, a well-known Frenchman of great ability, who was in their Foreign Office and is now connected with one of the big Paris banks in an important capacity. [1]...’
- 120. THURSDAY, 29TH MARCH 1928
- 29 March 1928
- ‘29th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE Bertram Austin came to see me last week ostensibly to show me a letter that he was writing to you. As he talked, he came to the point of his visit, which was to ask me to suggest to...’
- 121. THURSDAY, 29TH MARCH 1928
- 29 March 1928
- ‘29th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I asked Harding [1] recently if anyone had yet given any thought to the possible date of the next Imperial Conference. He said that it had not yet been considered but that the delay in the work of the Committee that...’
- 122. THURSDAY, 29TH MARCH 1928
- 29 March 1928
- ‘29th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., INSTALMENT PURCHASE SYSTEM I do not know if your Trade and Customs Department, or other Commonwealth Department, has made a study of this comparatively new extension of the Credit system. I started lately to try and find out something about it...’
- 123. THURSDAY, 29TH MARCH 1928
- 29 March 1928
- ‘29th March, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., The Zinovief [1] debate in the House of Commons resulted in a Government victory. It is thought that the Labour Party has damaged itself by the debate. I send the full Hansard report in another letter and enclose to you, with...’
- 124. THURSDAY, 5TH APRIL 1928
- 5 April 1928
- ‘5th April, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., THE STRENGTH OF ENGLAND Hankey [1] recently brought this book to my notice and I read it with great interest and attention last Saturday. So much so that I spent the whole of Sunday in reading it again and summarising it...’
- 125. THURSDAY, 12TH APRIL 1928
- 12 April 1928
- ‘12th April, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Easter has whittled down this past working week almost to nothing, so this mail is a light one. Following on my summary of Bowles’ ‘Strength of England’, I wrote him a letter full of queries that his book had caused, and...’
- 126. THURSDAY, 26TH APRIL 1928
- 26 April 1928
- ‘26th April, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I send by this mail copy of the C.I.D. Paper, ‘Principles of Imperial Defence’ [1], with my comments. As I have said in my covering letter the main criticism that can be made of this paper is that, whilst providing a...’
- 127. THURSDAY, 26TH APRIL 1928
- 26 April 1928
- ‘26th April, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., The Cabinet yesterday briefly and tentatively considered the Anglo-American Arbitration Treaty [1] and the proposed American ‘Universal Renunciation of War’ Pact. [2] Chamberlain [3] told the Cabinet that the preliminary investigations by the Foreign Office shewed that the Renunciation of War...’
- 128. WEDNESDAY, 2ND MAY 1928
- 2 May 1928
- ‘2nd May, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M. I was delighted to receive by the last mail your monumental letters of 19th and 20th March, and I am rather appalled at the amount of time that I was the direct cause of your giving up at one blow to...’
- 129. WEDNESDAY, 9TH MAY 1928
- 9 May 1928
- ‘9th May, 1928 CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., AUSTRALIAN LOAN POSITION IN LONDON Thomas Hastie, a partner in the Melbourne stockbroking and financial firm of J. B. Were & Son, is now more or less permanently in London. I knew him well during the War and have since done my private...’
- 130. THURSDAY, 10TH MAY 1928
- 10 May 1928
- ‘10th May, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I have had it confirmed that the Prince of Wales ‘agrees in principle’ (!) to consider a union with the Swedish princess [1], and she will in consequence be over here very shortly. I see, however, that he is planning a...’
- 131. THURSDAY, 10TH MAY 1928
- 10 May 1928
- ‘10th May, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., The mild crisis that arose out of the Outlawry of War business showed how badly the machinery of communication and consultation with the Dominions is liable to creak in anything approaching an emergency. The Foreign Office ‘Dominions Information Department’ is, in...’
- 132. THURSDAY, 17TH MAY 1928
- 17 May 1928
- ‘17th May, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., We went to see the new Madame Tussaud’s lately and were horrified to see your effigy. You are wearing a very generous-looking morning coat, very shiny cloth-topped boots and what I think is called a gent.’s sporting four-in-hand tie-the whole effect...’
- 133. THURSDAY, 24TH MAY 1928
- 24 May 1928
- ‘24th May, 1928 CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I lunched with Sir John Salmond [1] last week. He is a man of considerable personality and character, and should, I think, do the job very well indeed. He is rather of the strong, silent man type. Although he will naturally push the...’
- 134. THURSDAY, 24TH MAY 1928
- 24 May 1928
- ‘24th May, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I must thank you for your long and interesting letter of 14th April [1], together with handwritten letter about America. [2] I appreciate the position in this latter regard. I enclose a personal letter from Sir Hugo Hirst [3] that he...’
- 135. THURSDAY, 31ST MAY 1928
- 31 May 1928
- ‘31st May, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I am holding up a letter that I had written you by this mail on the general subject of liaison as I want to try and cover the subject more fully. I tried all the dictionaries and encyclopaedias to see what...’
- 136. THURSDAY, 7TH JUNE 1928
- 7 June 1928
- ‘7th June, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Batterbee [1] rather surprised me by saying lately that he was very glad that Sir Harry McGowan [2] had dropped out of the Big Four. [3] He says that, in his opinion, Sir Harry McGowan, Sir Alfred Mond [4] and Sir...’
- 137. THURSDAY, 14TH JUNE 1928
- 14 June 1928
- ‘14th June, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., My dinner to Hirst [1] fell through at the last moment owing to prolongation of his attack of gout, but it was held at his flat in Park Lane with my guests and with Hirst wheeled in in a chair. Amery...’
- 138. THURSDAY, 21ST JUNE 1928
- 21 June 1928
- ‘21st June, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Amery [1] thinks that the wireless broadcasting of political platforms before and during an election campaign is of the greatest importance, particularly to Governments having the political convictions of Baldwin [2] and yourself. He thinks that broadcast political speeches of a...’
- 139. THURSDAY, 28TH JUNE 1928
- 28 June 1928
- ‘28th June, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I spoke to Tom Jones [1] recently about the value of broadcasting in an election. He agreed with Amery [2], but went on to say that it has much greater value for a man like Baldwin [3] than for a good...’
- 140. THURSDAY, 5TH JULY 1928
- 5 July 1928
- ‘5th July, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I went to the big yearly set-piece Air Force Display last Saturday. It is without doubt the finest show that any country in the world could stage. I have seen similar shows in the United States and they are very small...’
- 141. THURSDAY, 26TH JULY 1928
- 26 July 1928
- ‘26th July, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I have found myself lately spending a good deal of time with Sir Charles Nathan [1] on the North Australia Scheme, which I think is progressing slowly. [2] It occurs to me that the development of the 100-ton tracked roadless train...’
- 142. THURSDAY, 26TH JULY 1928
- 26 July 1928
- ‘26th July, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Mr. F. C. Goodenough, the Chairman of Barclay’s Bank, and Sir Charles Nathan [1] dined with me in this last week. The primary idea of the dinner was to give Nathan an opportunity of confidential discussion with Mr. Goodenough of the...’
- 143. THURSDAY, 26TH JULY 1928
- 26 July 1928
- ‘26th July, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., There seems to be rather a cabal against Amery [1] in the Cabinet. Winston [2] and Chamberlain [3] in particular seem to have their knife into him. I asked a certain well-informed friend why it was and he said that, as...’
- 144. THURSDAY, 2ND AUGUST 1928
- 2 August 1928
- ‘2nd August, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Officer [1] has arrived here and is working with me in this office for the month prior to his going to Geneva with Senator McLachlan. [2] I have introduced him all round and he is rapidly familiarising himself with the people...’
- 145. THURSDAY, 2ND AUGUST 1928
- 2 August 1928
- ‘2nd August, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., There has been some stirring of the Conservative conscience lately on the subject of ‘safeguarding’, the domestic euphemism for protection. A deputation of 200 Conservative M.P.s approached the Prime Minister [1] on the subject. Then both Amery [2] and Joynson-Hicks [3]...’
- 146. THURSDAY, 9TH AUGUST 1928
- 9 August 1928
- ‘9th August, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., To anyone who moves about England on the roads today, the most striking change as compared with five years ago is the phenomenal increase in the size and numbers of large passenger-carrying vehicles. Originally called charabancs, they have developed in size...’
- 147. THURSDAY, 16TH AUGUST 1928
- 16 August 1928
- ‘16th August, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., Sir William Glasgow [1] had a useful talk to Hankey [2] at my house at lunch last week. It did something, I think, to clear Sir William’s mind on the subject of Coast Defence. Hankey emphasised that he thought the Commonwealth...’
- 148. THURSDAY, 23RD AUGUST 1928
- 23 August 1928
- ‘23rd August, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I send a most confidential hand written letter to you by this mail. I enclose copies of Dean Inge’s [1] article in the ‘Evening Standard’ and of the ensuing correspondence. I enclose copy of a leading article ‘Australian Finance’ from today’s...’
- 149. THURSDAY, 23RD AUGUST 1928
- 23 August 1928
- ‘23rd August, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., The recent booms and ‘shake-outs’ on the London, New York and Brussels Stock Exchanges, occurring at a time when reinvestment has become a personal problem, has led me lately in odd moments to make some little study of investment conditions to-day....’
- 150. THURSDAY, 30TH AUGUST 1928
- 30 August 1928
- ‘30th August, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I have kept the High Commissioner [1] fully informed of the Antarctic negotiations [2], by word of mouth and by submitting a complete file of the correspondence to Trumble [3] at intervals. They seem quite content to leave it to me....’
- 151. THURSDAY, 6TH SEPTEMBER 1928
- 6 September 1928
- ‘6th September, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 8.10.28) My dear P.M., Chamberlain [1] is evidently a very sick man. The photographs of his departure oft his health trip to the West Indies were rather alarming and would give one to think that he had had a stroke,...’
- 152. THURSDAY, 13TH SEPTEMBER 1928
- 13 September 1928
- ‘13th September, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 12.10.28) My dear P.M., In conversation with Batterbee [1] in this last week, he asked if you had given any thought as to whom you wanted as the next Governor-General in Australia. Although there is, I think, about two years...’
- 153. THURSDAY, 20TH SEPTEMBER 1928
- 20 September 1928
- ‘20th September, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 19.10.28) My dear P.M., One of the Orient Company directors came to see me today to see if I thought it was of any use for them to approach you at this moment with regard to the repeal of certain...’
- 154. THURSDAY, 27TH SEPTEMBER 1928
- 27 September 1928
- ‘27th September, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 26.10.28) My dear P.M., I had a talk with Amery [1] yesterday. The election here almost certainly will be in June. The interest of this for us is that it means almost certainly that there will be no Imperial Conference...’
- 155. THURSDAY, 18TH OCTOBER 1928
- 18 October 1928
- ‘18th October, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 17.11.28) My dear P.M., Hankey [1] is back from a few weeks’ holiday abroad and I had a long talk to him yesterday. He is very much concerned about the Anglo-French Naval muddle and he is rather inclined to think...’
- 156. THURSDAY, 25TH OCTOBER 1928
- 25 October 1928
- ‘25th October, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 24.11.28) My dear P.M., With regard to the development of our part of New Guinea-the following appeared in an article in the American publication, ‘Foreign Affairs’, for October:- Australia has not taken any great part in the economic development of...’
- 157. THURSDAY, 25TH OCTOBER 1928
- 25 October 1928
- ‘25th October, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 25.11.28) My dear P.M., I don’t know how familiar you are with financial institutions in this country. This is by way of preface to saying something about the large and important class of companies called Investment Trusts. This is not...’
- 158. THURSDAY, 25TH OCTOBER 1928
- 25 October 1928
- ‘25th October, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 24.11.28) My dear P.M., Amery [1] is concerned at his inability to think up a few suitable men to act as Governors-General. He has told Batterbee [2] to produce him a short list of possibilities but he is finding some...’
- 159. THURSDAY, 1ST NOVEMBER 1928
- 1 November 1928
- ‘1st November, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 30.11.28) My dear P.M., In continuation of my letter of last week on New Guinea [1], I enclose such particulars as I have been able to get from Somerset House about the Melanesia Company. [2] It may be of interest...’
- 160. THURSDAY, 1ST NOVEMBER 1928
- 1 November 1928
- ‘1st November, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 30.11.28) My dear P.M., There was a by-election at Ashton-under-Lyne this week, which gave the Government a nasty turn. A moderate Labour man decisively won the seat from the Conservatives. He did so on the Government’s unemployment record and on...’
- 161. THURSDAY, 22ND NOVEMBER 1928
- 22 November 1928
- ‘22nd November, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 21.12.28) My Dear P.M., I had half-an-hour with Sir Eric Geddes [1] today. He leaves here on the ‘Chitral’ arriving at Adelaide on 2nd February, on Dunlop Company business, and leaves Melbourne again on 12th February-a bare nine days. Imperial...’
- 162. THURSDAY, 29TH NOVEMBER 1928
- 29 November 1928
- ‘29th November, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 28.12.28) My dear P.M., I enclose letter from Sir Eric Geddes [1], which he has asked me to transmit to you. He has also sent me a copy, and I think I may add a few points to elucidate further...’
- 163. THURSDAY, 29TH NOVEMBER 1928
- 29 November 1928
- ‘29th November, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 28.12.28) My dear P.M., Sir Hugh Clifford [1] called in at this office this morning before going back to Singapore tomorrow. He had seen Sir Eric Geddes [2], who had discussed with him the question of a subsidy for the...’
- 164. THURSDAY, 13TH DECEMBER 1928
- 13 December 1928
- ‘13th December, 1928 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 12.1.29) My dear P.M., Your telegram with regard to the re-organisation of your own Department and of the External Affairs Department came as a surprise to me. [1] I shall be telegraphing you in the next few days after going...’
- 165. THURSDAY, 10TH JANUARY 1929
- 10 January 1929
- ‘10th January, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 9.2.29) My dear P.M., When he was in London recently Sir Joynton Smith, the Australian newspaper proprietor [1], called on Mr. Amery [2] with the object of getting him to facilitate the award of the French Legion of Honour which,...’
- 166. THURSDAY, 10TH JANUARY 1929
- 10 January 1929
- ‘10th January, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL My dear P.M., I went to a dinner at the American Embassy on the night after I returned. It was an affair of twenty men representing a wide variety of interests, to welcome McCormick, the Editor-Proprietor of the ‘Chicago Tribune’ [1], which, as you...’
- 167. THURSDAY, 17TH JANUARY 1929
- 17 January 1929
- ‘17th January, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 16.2.29) My dear P.M., Montagu Norman [1] asked me to visit him on the evening of 15th January, the day before the 8 million Commonwealth Loan was issued. I had been seeing Sir Otto Niemeyer at the Bank of England...’
- 168. THURSDAY, 17TH JANUARY 1929
- 17 January 1929
- ‘17th January, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 16.2.29) My dear P.M., Re the shipping companies and freight rates-there is really nothing much more to say in addition to the telegrams that passed between us. I am most relieved for your sake that it has turned out reasonably...’
- 169. THURSDAY, 24TH JANUARY 1929
- 24 January 1929
- ‘24th January, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 22.2.29) My dear P.M., I send out in another letter by this mail copy of Hilton Young’s [1] Report of the East Africa Commission-a bulky document. My object in sending it is not so much for the interest to us...’
- 170. THURSDAY, 31ST JANUARY 1929
- 31 January 1929
- ‘31st January, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 1.3.29) My dear P.M., Sir Basil Blackett [1] came in to see me a few days ago, with the object, as he said, of acquainting me with the present position of the Cable-Wireless Merger Company and of telling me his...’
- 171. THURSDAY, 7TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 7 February 1929
- ‘7th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 7.3.29) My dear P.M., Practically the last act of the Italian Flag Discrimination business took place two days ago in the shape of the exchange of notes between the Italian Government and the British Embassy at Washington. [1] So ends...’
- 172. THURSDAY, 7TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 7 February 1929
- ‘7th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 7.3.29) My Dear P.M., The Twelfth Session of the international Labour Conference opens at Geneva on May 30th. The Agenda is general and the selection of employers’ and employees’ representatives will, I imagine, take place about the time this letter...’
- 173. THURSDAY, 14TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 14 February 1929
- ‘14th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 15.3.29) My Dear P.M., I think the proposal in the attached letter regarding C.I.D. papers will meet the case. [1] I have had some signs that the Defence Department think that I am usurping some privilege of theirs by my...’
- 174. THURSDAY, 21ST FEBRUARY 1929
- 21 February 1929
- ‘21st February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 21.3.29) My dear P.M., You may care to know about a most interesting development that is being worked on a good deal at the moment behind the scenes. As you know, the most urgent and distressing public matter in this...’
- 175. THURSDAY, 21ST FEBRUARY 1929
- 21 February 1929
- ‘21st February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 21.3.29) My dear P.M., Hankey’s [1] power to influence policy in this country has been most strikingly shown by the course of the Belligerent Rights discussions in these last several months. He has nursed the subject, coaxed and argued with...’
- 176. THURSDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 28 February 1929
- ‘28th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 29.3.29) My dear P.M., I have been allowed to see, in the greatest confidence, some papers of considerable interest, a brief summary of which you may care to have. Joynson-Hicks [1] (Home Office) and Steel-Maitland [2] (Labour) have submitted memoranda...’
- 177. THURSDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 28 February 1929
- ‘28th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 29.3.29) My dear P.M., I was very pleased to get your many letters written in the middle of January. [1] I appreciate what you say about Ryan. [2] It is possible he may go out to Australia on a trip...’
- 178. THURSDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 28 February 1929
- ‘28th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 29.3.29) My dear P.M., Your letter of 18th January with regard to the Bank of England and Commonwealth Loans. [1] My letter on this subject will have crossed yours and will be a reasonably complete reply. I find it difficult...’
- 179. THURSDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 28 February 1929
- ‘28th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 29.3.29) My dear Prime Minister, I am asked to stress the secret nature of this letter which is for the confidential information of yourself and the Minister for Defence. [1] A subject was discussed at C.I.D. meetings during last year...’
- 180. THURSDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 28 February 1929
- ‘28th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 29.3.29) My Dear P.M., I mentioned last week the scheme that originated with Philip Gibbs for the association of the Prince of Wales with a big settlement programme in the Peace River district of Canada. [1] The idea in its...’
- 181. THURSDAY, 28TH FEBRUARY 1929
- 28 February 1929
- ‘28th February, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 29.3.29) My dear P.M., Your memorandum of 18th January re the classifying and numbering of my letters. [1] I regret that I am unable to deal with this properly by this mail. However, I will do as you suggest and...’
- 182. THURSDAY, 7TH MARCH 1929
- 7 March 1929
- ‘7th March, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 6.4.29) My dear P.M., INVESTMENT TRUST COMPANY HOLDINGS IN AUSTRALIA I have written you before about investment Trust Companies, their recent rise in popularity and the extent to which they are a factor in the financing of development in new...’
- 183. THURSDAY, 7TH MARCH 1929
- 7 March 1929
- ‘7th March, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 6.4.29) My dear P.M., I attach lists of telegrams that should be taken off the official files, and either destroyed or kept in a personal file of your own. For your convenience I have had them done in separate lists,...’
- 184. THURSDAY, 14TH MARCH 1929
- 14 March 1929
- ‘14th March, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 13.4.29) My dear P.M., I am sending by this mail, in another letter, what I hope is about the last of the C.I.D. papers on Belligerent Rights and the Anglo- American Arbitration Treaty. [1] This final report on Belligerent Rights...’
- 185. THURSDAY, 14TH MARCH 1929
- 14 March 1929
- ‘14th March, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 13.4.29) My dear P.M., An incident has occurred in connection with a paper on Coast Defence on which I have written a long letter to Henderson [1], the contents of which I have asked him to take an early opportunity...’
- 186. THURSDAY, 21ST MARCH 1929
- 21 March 1929
- ‘21st March, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 20.4.29) My dear P.M., After reading the Industrial Mission’s report and after talking with some of the members of the Mission [1]-the immediate work that I am doing drops (a well-chosen word) into proper perspective. The urgent tasks before you...’
- 187. THURSDAY, 28TH MARCH 1929
- 28 March 1929
- ‘28th March, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 27.4.29) My dear P.M., It is rather early yet to be optimistic about the possibilities of the economic exploitation of the Antarctic but it appears to me as if the outlook is quite hopeful from the point of view of...’
- 188. THURSDAY, 4TH APRIL 1929
- 4 April 1929
- ‘4th April, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 3.5.29) My dear P.M., Easter has cut this past week in half The Easter holidays are regarded as sacred dies non in this country, no doubt because they give people the first taste of spring after the long winter. And...’
- 189. THURSDAY, 11TH APRIL 1929
- 11 April 1929
- ‘11th April, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 10.5.29) My dear P M., I gather from the Commonwealth Hansards that you have a new and promising young firebrand in the House in the person of Beasley. [1] The Antarctic Expedition arrangements are going ahead fairly satisfactorily, although with...’
- 190. THURSDAY, 18TH APRIL 1929
- 18 April 1929
- ‘18th April, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 17.5.29) My dear P.M., The High Commissioner’s [1] dinner at Australia House for the Economic Mission [2] went off quite well a few days ago. Duckham went sick at the last moment but the other three made speeches, as well...’
- 191. THURSDAY, 18TH APRIL 1929
- 18 April 1929
- ‘18th April, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 17.5.29) My dear P.M., I have been wondering lately whether it would be a good plan to prepare the ground ahead for the next Imperial Conference by trying to get some one influential group of the press here to take...’
- 192. THURSDAY, 18TH APRIL 1929
- 18 April 1929
- ‘18th April, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 17.5.29) My dear P.M., Referring to your recent letter in which you repeated a request of the Minister for Defence regarding increased numbers of copies of C.I.D. papers being sent to you for the information of the Defence Department. You...’
- 193. THURSDAY, 25TH APRIL 1929
- 25 April 1929
- ‘25th April, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 24.5.29) My dear P.M., I enclose Baldwin’s [1] policy speech from the ‘Times’ of April 19th. I am told by those who heard it delivered that it was done in his most nervous and ‘affaire’ manner-which doubtless was taken in...’
- 194. THURSDAY, 2ND MAY 1929
- 2 May 1929
- ‘2nd May, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 1.6.29) My dear P.M., I have been interested to see your three moves with regard to Americathe appointment of Herbert Brookes as Australian Commissioner-General [1] -closing of the New York branch of the Commonwealth Bank-and, last but not least, the...’
- 195. THURSDAY, 9TH MAY 1929
- 9 May 1929
- ‘9th May, 1929 PERSONAL CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 8.6.29) My dear P.M., In an earlier letter I mentioned the advertisement by Corporation & General Securities Ltd. [1], urging the public to ‘invest British’. This was one of a series of such advertisements prior to the issue of the Melbourne...’
- 196. THURSDAY, 9TH MAY 1929
- 9 May 1929
- ‘9th May, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 8.6.29) My dear P.M., I have been submerged this week by Mawson’s impending departure today. [1] He is handing over a great mass of unfinished jobs to me, which will take a big proportion of my time for the next...’
- 197. THURSDAY, 16TH MAY 1929
- 16 May 1929
- ‘16th May, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 15.6.29) My dear P.M., There is an aspect of the business of the General Election which it may interest you and your political advisers to know about. It is the habit in this country for individuals and societies of all...’
- 198. THURSDAY, 16TH MAY 1929
- 16 May 1929
- ‘16th May, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 15.6.29) My dear P.M., I am almost entirely immersed in a flood of business Connected with the Antarctic Expedition. J.K. Davis [1] is a pleasant fellow but he has left all the business to me, other than that connected with...’
- 199. THURSDAY, 23RD MAY 1929
- 23 May 1929
- ‘23rd May, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 22.6.29) My dear P.M., Again there is very little to tell you this week. I saw Sir Hugo Hirst [1] this morning and he asked me to transmit the enclosed letters to you, which he let me read first. He...’
- 200. THURSDAY, 30TH MAY 1929
- 30 May 1929
- ‘30th May, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 29.6.29) My dear P.M., I won’t really be Sorry to see the last of the ‘Discovery’ [1] when she leaves the West India Docks early in August. I have looked round in vain for someone to shuffle the work off...’
- 201. THURSDAY, 6TH JUNE 1929
- 6 June 1929
- ‘6th June, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 5.7.29) My dear Prime Minister, The Election has come and gone and I do not propose to labour it. [1] However, you may care to have a few details. Although the intense Liberal campaign failed to secure many seats, it...’
- 202. THURSDAY, 13TH JUNE 1929
- 13 June 1929
- ‘13th June, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 12.7.29) My dear P.M., I have not yet met the new Ministers, but hope to do so next week when they are more settled. I hear that Sidney Webb [1] is a kindly and well disposed old man, who has...’
- 203. THURSDAY, 20TH JUNE 1929
- 20 June 1929
- ‘20th June, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 19.7.29) My dear P.M., The result of the General Election here is well summed up by the Philadelphia Public Ledger-‘The Election represents not so much a victory for the Labour Party as a crushing defeat for the Conservatives’. Professor Smiddy...’
- 204. THURSDAY, 27TH JUNE 1929
- 27 June 1929
- ‘27th June, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 26.7.29) My dear P.M., I have now met the Prime Minister [1] and delivered to him your letter of October 1924, accrediting me to him. He asked me to tell you that he would do anything in his. power to...’
- 205. THURSDAY, 4TH JULY 1929
- 4 July 1929
- ‘4th July, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 3.8.29) My dear P.M., I met Sidney Webb in his new role as Lord Passfield last week. [1] He is a pleasant and genial old man who talked away happily for half-an-hour. A doctrinaire rather than a ‘doer’, who has...’
- 206. THURSDAY, 11TH JULY 1929
- 11 July 1929
- ‘11th July, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 10.8.29) My dear P.M., As I have said, the new Government are at present rather disinclined to take anyone into their confidence. I understand that this is the general attitude with a new Government, but it is more noticeable in...’
- 207. THURSDAY, 18TH JULY 1929
- 18 July 1929
- ‘18th July, 1929 PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 18.8.29) My dear P.M., I am afraid. this will be a scrappy letter, owing to extreme pressure here. I have had the utmost difficulty in keeping my head above water for months, going at high pressure from 9.15 a.m. till...’
- 208. THURSDAY, 25TH JULY 1929
- 25 July 1929
- ‘25th July, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 24.8.29) My dear P.M., You will have seen from the press with interest and, I think, disappointment the fact that Lloyd [1] has been sacked. As I think I told you this has come about by the machinations of the...’
- 209. THURSDAY, 1ST AUGUST 1929
- 1 August 1929
- ‘1st August, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL 1st August, 1929 (Due to arrive Canberra 30.8.29) My dear P.M., I think I have now got the story fairly complete of Lloyd’s [1] dismissal from the High Commissionership in Egypt. Lloyd lunched with me this week and talked freely-and I have also talked...’
- 210. THURSDAY, 1ST AUGUST 1929
- 1 August 1929
- ‘1st August, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 30.8.29) My dear P.M., Many thanks for your long letter of 20th June. I have acquainted Clive Baillieu [1], in confidence, with the general terms of the position with regard to Amalgamated Wireless and the Merger Company [2], as I...’
- 211. THURSDAY, 1ST AUGUST 1929
- 1 August 1929
- ‘1st August, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 30.8.29) My dear P.M., Reference my P. & C. 37 of 16th May [1] and your reply of 24th June-with reference to the method adopted here for coping with the answering of questions put to the Government during a General...’
- 212. THURSDAY, 8TH AUGUST 1929
- 8 August 1929
- ‘8th August, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 7.9.29) My dear P.M., I referred in a recent letter to the apparently malignant efforts of the ‘Financial Times’ Correspondent in Australia (Myers) to disparage our condition. [1] I spoke to W. S. Robinson [2] about it lately, who is...’
- 213. THURSDAY, 29TH AUGUST 1929
- 29 August 1929
- ‘29th August, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 28.9.29) My dear P.M., I have seen something of Ramsay MacDonald [1] and I am afraid my opinion of him has not been enhanced. It is a most strange commentary on democracy that men of such mediocre ability as this...’
- 214. THURSDAY, 12TH SEPTEMBER 1929
- 12 September 1929
- ‘12th September, 1929 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL (Due to arrive Canberra 11.10.29) My dear P.M., I have let it be known privately to senior officials in the Departments with which I come in contact that the fact has not passed our notice that, since the advent of this Government, but little...’
- 215. 'PINE HILL', MONDAY, 18TH NOVEMBER 1929
- 18 November 1929
- ‘November 18th, 1929 PERSONAL Frankston PERSONAL My dear Casey, I have now finished my present political career. Latham [1] has been appointed as my successor and I have replied to the overwhelming mass of correspondence I received with regard to the defeat of the Government, and my own reverse. As...’