30th December, 1926
PERSONAL
My dear Prime Minister,
I hope your trip across the Atlantic was not too unpleasantly cold. The tape gives your first American speech in which you are reported as giving the Continent of Europe rather a dark character.
I have completed a summary of the series of discussions with traders, London Agencies, and with Cooper [1] and Gough [2], and I enclose the draft.
I have had long talks with Alexander [3] (Lab.) and Col. Angus McDonnell [4] of the Parliamentary delegation.5 The former is a dyed in the wool Free Trader, and the latter a mild Protectionist.
They both seemed equally impressed by the borrowing policy of the State Governments and with the extreme policy of High Protection.
I am accompanying Gepp6 when he meets the Delegation on January 6th, and I hope there will be a frank and useful discussion.
I hope you will realise that I really meant what I said on your last evening. I enjoy doing a job of work for you very much. I feel that our labours on educating people here on Empire economics will bear fruit, and I shall look forward to further progress on the economic side during the next three years, and a really successful Imperial Conference in 1929, when I hope you will again be over.
Yours sincerely, F. L. MCDOUGALL
_1 Sir James Cooper, company director; Chairman of the London Agencies of the Commonwealth Dried Fruits and Dairy Produce Control Boards.
2 A. E. Gough, General Manager of the Overseas Farmers Co- operative Federation, Ltd; member of the London Agency of the Dried Fruits Control Board. The discussions probably concerned the possibility of reducing the number of agents importing Australian fruit.
3 A. V. Alexander, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade 1924.
4 Conservative M.P.
5 The Empire Parliamentary Association Delegation which toured Australia in the latter part of 1926.
6 H. W. Gepp, Chairman of the Commonwealth Development and Migration Commission.
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