In the course of conversation last night Prime Minister [1]
sharply criticised the tone both of Parliament and Press in the
United Kingdom regarding Norwegian campaign. He said he and his
colleagues felt, subject to reservations below, the best had been
made by United Kingdom Government of a very difficult situation.

Had we felt free to occupy Norwegian ports in advance of German
invasion, we should have scored great immediate advantage; but he
was firmly convinced that such an invasion by us of Norwegian
neutrality would have been morally wrong [2] and politically ill
advised. (Whether we should not now, after this further
(monstrous) (flagrant) [3] illegality by Germany, take a more
drastic line vis a vis neutrals:- e.g. by destroying if necessary
the Swedish iron ore mines subject to compensation-was another
question).

His only reservations were (1) ought not our intelligence service
to have informed us both of intended invasion and of strength of
'Fifth Column' in Norway in time to enable us to intercept German
transports on their long journey to Trondheim, and (2) would it
not have been possible and proper to have put a check on early
exaggerated optimism which so greatly increased discouraging
impact of the news of evacuation?
I asked what were his views on allegations in Australian Press
that Commonwealth Government was insufficiently informed and
consulted by United Kingdom Government and on recent renewed
suggestions of an Imperial War Cabinet.

He said, subject to observations at (d) in his telegram No. 208 of
the 8th May [4], he had no complaint whatsoever as to information
and opportunities for consultation afforded by United Kingdom
Government.

Whenever he had felt observations of the Commonwealth Government
might be useful, he had had ample opportunity to make them and
they had obviously been fully considered. He was, as at present
advised, opposed to the idea of an Imperial War Cabinet. To add
five Dominion members to the present or to a reconstituted United
Kingdom War Cabinet would make it unwieldy and would not in his
opinion be helpful. The existing air services made it possible to
have brief conferences in London at comparatively short intervals
and this he thought was sufficient.