Skip to main content

Historical documents

255 Mr P. Liesching, U.K. Acting High Commissioner to Australia, to Lord Stanley, U.K. Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs

Cablegram unnumbered 15 September 1938,

IMMEDIATE MOST SECRET

Your most secret telegram of to-day. [1] Prime Minister [2] asks
me to convey the following message very urgently to Mr
Chamberlain. [3] Begins.

As our cables supplemented by Bruce [4] and the Acting High
Commissioner [5] have from time to time informed you our attitude
has been one of support for your policy and actions on behalf of
peace. Your latest projected personal course excites our warmest
admiration and will in our opinion completely consolidate British
opinion over the whole world. Ends.

Above message was drafted in the presence of Page [6] Menzies [7]
and myself They regarded the action as inspired and it would be
difficult to exaggerate the warmth of the enthusiasm with which
they learnt of Mr Chamberlain's proposed action. End of telegram.

1 Document 254.

2 J. A. Lyons.

3 U.K. Prime Minister.

4 S. M. Bruce, High Commissioner in London.

5 P. Liesching.

6 Sir Earle Page, Minister for Commerce.

7 R. G. Menzies, Attorney-General.

8 The last paragraph of this cablegram was omitted from the copy
handed to the Commonwealth Government. See file AA : A981,
Czechoslovakia 18, i.


[PRO : DO 35/554]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
Back to top