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Dear Mr. Bruce,

Recent cables, as regards the political situation in Australia, indicate that when this letter arrives you will be in the middle of a stern fight and will have little time for the consideration of economic matters. [1]

I asked Ritchie [2] to send you copy of an article which appeared in last Sunday's 'Pictorial' by the Rt. Hon. Philip Snowden [3], which is illuminating and which I thought might be of some real value at the present time. I also suggested to Ritchie that he should get out some interesting extracts of labour opinion on Russia and Communism.

I am enclosing copy of a letter which I contributed to the Times on 'Controlled marketing in the Dominions' which I hope will meet with your approval. [4]

IMPERIAL ECONOMIC COMMITTEE

A Departmental Committee has been set up during the last two or three days to consider the report of the Imperial Economic Committee and to prepare a memorandum to the British Cabinet on the subject. If so, I anticipate that the Cabinet will be considering the reports in the course of the next fortnight or three weeks.

I am meeting a number of the Members of the Committee in order to arrange that, when the full Committee meets again to consider further work on fruit, we shall have a definite programme which will, I hope, enable us to make the Fruit Report a much more comprehensive document than the Meat Report.

I am enclosing, for your information, copy of an advertisement that has been appearing, inserted by Harrods, in leading newspapers. [5] It will give you an idea of the way in which the Empire idea is spreading in commercial circles.

Yours sincerely, F. L. MCDOUGALL