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 happily a very long-drawn out controversy.
I send a further large collection of papers on Belligerent Rights by this mail.
I notice that in the Commonwealth Year Book No. 20 for 1927, on page 36, you are shown as having the Order of Merit instead of the Companionship of Honour. I expect you will wish to have this rectified in the new issue of the Year Book.
Clive Baillieu [2] (senior) left for Australia today in the ‘Orford’. Young Clive Baillieu [3] has decided to withdraw from standing for a seat in Parliament here, as he has to go to Australia later in the year.
Lord Hailsham [4] was entertaining a judge of the U.S. Supreme Court in this last week, and asked him what he thought about Prohibition. ‘Prohibition-oh well, I’m personally not for it-but it’s better than no drink at all!’
I am, Yours sincerely R.G. CASEY
_1 See note 5 to Letter 83.
2 Richard Percy Clive Baillieu.
3 R.P.C. Baillieu’s nephew, the future (1953) Lord Baillieu.
4 Lord Chancellor.
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