(Due to arrive Melbourne-18.4.25)

My dear P.M.,

NAVAL DEFENCE IN FAR EAST

I write to let you know that a series of most important questions
have been handed down from the Cabinet to the Committee of
Imperial Defence for investigation. [1] In general terms, they
hinge on the broad question of our Naval Defences in the Far East.

The C.I.D. will probably take at least a month or two to get
anywhere on it. It is being kept very secret, but I will get the
general story of it from Hankey from time to time.

CABINET

The current rumour that is going about is that there is an attempt
on foot to discredit Austen Chamberlain as Foreign Minister,
originating with the 'Isolationist' section of the Cabinet
(Winston Churchill [2], Birkenhead [3], Amery [4], Curzon [5]) and
carried on by their friends outside, which include my Lords
Beaverbrook [6] and Rothermere. [7]

There is no doubt that they 'downed' him over the French-
BritishBelgian pact. One can only say that he did not put it up in
a 'do-or-die' manner, but allowed himself to be overruled without
much ado; also I think that in this case they had the arguments in
their favour.

I am afraid the number of the 'Isolationists' will be less one by
the time you get this, as Curzon is very sick, and said today to
be dying. [8]

I am, Yours sincerely,
R. G. CASEY