266 Mr S. M. Bruce, High Commissioner in London, to Mr R. G. Menzies, Prime Minister
Cablegram unnumbered LONDON, 23 May 1940, 9.29 p.m.
PERSONAL SECRET
McBride. [1] Response of United Kingdom Government is a noncommittal one, that they would of course welcome the visit.
Notwithstanding this, my view is that in fairness to the United Kingdom Government and McBride, the visit should be postponed.
In the present circumstances it is quite impossible to conduct any fundamental discussions with British Ministers and the best that can be done is to deal day by day with urgent questions which cannot be postponed. This position, I feel, will continue and may become intensified. If I am right, McBride would be forced to spend considerable time here achieving little in regard to the subject matter of his mission and living under conditions which may well be extremely unpleasant. The risks of his actual journey also cannot be entirely ignored.
For the above reasons I feel postponement desirable. If, however, you consider he should come I need hardly add that I will give him every assistance and help in my power. [2]
BRUCE