Cablegram unnumbered 23 March 1940,
IMMEDIATE SECRET PERSONAL FOR HIMSELF
Your cable 18th March. [1] After consideration I entirely agree with your views regarding causes of recent failures and the necessity to take steps to avoid future repetition.
Impression from this end is that diplomatically we have been too much on the defensive and that activity and aggression badly needed if position is not to deteriorate. Even in military sense it would appear that more aggressive action needed particularly in the air. Continued use of air raids for dropping leaflets is now usually received with ridicule in Australia and serves to lend colour to a feeling that we are playing while the enemy means business and gets there first every time. [2] You might convey these views to Eden [3] but if you would like me to cable direct I will do so.
MENZIES
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1 Documents 105 and 106.
2 Bruce informed Menzies on 27 March that the leaflet raids were in fact intended to train pilots for future offensive operations over Germany. (See Bruce’s cablegram 206 on file AA: A1608, B41/1/1.) 3 U.K. Dominions Secretary.
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[FA: A3196, 0.1785]