London, 20 September 1962
Top Secret
Mr Menzies called on me at 6.30 p.m. today to say goodbye. He could only stay for a short time.
He explained his conduct at the Conference by the weakness of his political position. Mr McEwen was at him all the time to take a much stronger line and range himself on the side of Mr Diefenbaker. He resisted, greatly to Mr McEwen’s displeasure, joining in the demand for another Prime Ministers’ Conference.
He is going to call and see President Kennedy but he doesn’t have much idea of what he is going to say to him. The only positive thing he said was that if one of these World Conferences, e.g., the Wheat Conference, got moving it would be a great help to his position. He ended by saying that any feeling between himself and me at the last Conference and the problem of South Africa that had arisen was quite forgotten and I must think no more of it. He was clearly trying to be as pleasant as possible and excuse himself for not having taken a more constructive position throughout the Conference. He took, however, some satisfaction in the thought that Mr Bunting had been helpful under his instructions at the final meeting of officials that drafted the communique.
[UKNA: PREM 11/3663]