[On 19 March Winston Churchill informed the House of Commons that
R. G. Casey, then Minister to the United States, was to be
appointed U.K. Minister Of State resident in the Middle East. The
announcement was broadcast on the B.B.C. news received in Canberra
at 10 p.m. the same evening and Curtin immediately telephoned the
U.K. High Commissioner in Australia, Sir Ronald Cross, to complain
that he had been given no warning of the conclusion of the
agreement with Casey. Curtin, whom Cross reported to be 'extremely
angry, and at one moment bitter', said that the U.K. Govt should
not have made the announcement without assuring itself that Casey
had resigned from his present post, which in fact he had not done,
and without making arrangements for the simultaneous release of
the news in Australia. Curtin informed Cross that he intended to
state publicly that the Commonwealth Govt had been ignored, but
Cross persuaded him to 'soft pedal' with the press and at midnight
Curtin issued a statement saying only that while the Commonwealth
Govt would prefer Casey to remain in Washington he would not be
instructed to do so. See Cross's cablegram 334 to the U.K.

Dominions Office (in PRO: DO 35/1009, ii), Canberra Times, 20
March 1942, p.1 and Sydney Morning Herald, 20 March 1942, p.5.]

Following for Prime Minister from Prime Minister:-

I cannot reconcile your public statement as reported here with
your Johcu 26. [1] I have met most fully the conditions you there
suggested by telling Casey that he should do all that is necessary
and take whatever time is required to make Dr. Evatt [2]
thoroughly acquainted with the situation. I do not therefore
understand the tone and substance of your statement and I shall be
forced to quote your telegram to me above-mentioned, unless in
some way or other you can clear up the situation.