(Due to arrive Melbourne-26.9.25)

My dear P.M.,

Smit [1] (South African High Commissioner) has evidently obtained
permission from his P.M. to be informed on Foreign Affairs by the
Foreign Office. Chamberlain [2] sent a note from the country to
the Central Department a few days ago saying 'Smit wants to be a
Casey as well as High Commissioner. Let him have what he wants.'
This was followed soon afterwards by a telephone message from Smit
to the Head of the Central Department asking that the papers
regarding the Pact [3] be sent round to him. He was told that they
could not leave the F.O., whereupon, after some show of
indignation by Smit, he sent his Private Secretary to the F.O. and
the negotiations up to date were explained to him, which I am sure
he didn't understand, as he had (I am told) never heard of the
Pact before! This is the beginning, I suppose, of all the other
High Commissioners claiming the right to dabble in Foreign
Affairs.

I have just talked to a man (Manning [4], a don of New College,
Oxford), who is back from South Africa, who says that the Prince's
[5] visit was a real success and not merely 'made' by the Press.

He apparently took the politic step of making a number of the
highly placed Burghers very drunk (whilst keeping well in hand
himself) at an early banquet, which I understand is a short cut to
their affections. He says it was a great bit of luck that Hertzog
[6] and his Nationalists were in power at the time, as the visit
has undoubtedly stirred their feelings. If they had been in
opposition, they would have sulked and not co-operated and the
Prince would not have been able to reach them.

Manning talked to Smuts [7], who he says still thinks of France in
terms of Poincare. [8]

You may have heard of the story of the Burghers' welcome to
Admiral Field [9] on his own quarter deck on his arrival in South
African waters-it was in plain language to the effect that they
did not want there to be any misapprehension, they were not
'loyal', they had no hereditary feeling with regard to the throne
and they had no particular veneration for the Navy, but as he had
asked them to meet him on board his ship on arrival, they had done
so out of courtesy. This would have been a bit of a facer for most
people but Field said he was so glad they had spoken out as he
liked dealing with blunt outspoken men, as it gave him the chance
to be likewise. For himself, the three things that mattered were
loyalty to his country and to his King, and to his Service, but
the fact that they disagreed on these points was not, he hoped,
going to stop them being friends. And with that, he took their
spokesman by the arm and led them down to a rattling good lunch,
and so set the stage for a visit that without doubt did no end of
good as regards improving and educating the old Cape Dutch
Nationalists.

I have this story from a man who was present and heard it. Field
swore them all to secrecy about it and it only leaked out in
confidence a few days ago, in another connection.

In one of my talks to Captain Egerton (Director of Plans,
Admiralty), I asked him what the private opinion was with regard
to Canada's lack of naval effort. He said, in confidence, they
they felt very strongly that Canada was not playing the game. Not
only did they completely lack enthusiasm as regards naval
construction themselves, but they went so far as to let the ships
that they were given by H.M.G. after the war go so completely to
pieces that the Admiralty had written them off as having no
further value as fighting units. However, Egerton takes some of
the blame for H.M.G., who, he says, have consistently sent Canada
second rate naval men as advisers-men who would carry no weight as
propagandists among the Canadian doubting Thomases.

Egerton has three safes in his room, which contain the plans for
naval action in the case of Eastern (Far East), Western (American)
and European wars. He says the Eastern safe is full, the European
safe half full, and the Western empty. Under no circumstances do
they consider a war with America possible.

I believe it has been a great blow to Elder [10] that he has not
been made one of the delegates to the Assembly at Geneva! I think
he thinks you are saving up for him the appointment in connection
with which you used the word 'Ambassador'!
In accordance with your telegram, I am off to Geneva next week.

[11] I am taking a car over.

I have had Drake-Brockman [12] and Swinburne [13] to lunch the
last two days to meet Hurst [14], Cadogan [15], Villiers [16],
Nicolson [17] and Batterbee. [18]

Captain G. H. Wilkins (ex-A.I.F. Official Photographer and Polar
explorer) is here. I am taking him today to meet the Dominions
Office people and the Naval Hydrographer at the Admiralty, as he
may be able to increase their knowledge of the Antarctic in view
of the rival claims. I know him fairly well and have listened for
many hours at different times to his hopes of being eventually
able to have established a ring of Meteorological stations with
wireless, round the edge of the South Polar ice, in order to
attempt to do long range weather forecasting for the Southern
Hemisphere. He is a most earnest and high-minded fellow. I would
like to hear the comments of a highbrow meteorologist on his
proposed scheme.

He has just bought Amundsen's [19] North Pole aeroplane and
proposes to make a trial flight in the South Polar area next year.

Caillaux [20] has come and gone. They had two special Cabinets
yesterday to consider the various compromises suggested. They
found Caillaux sensible and businesslike and remarkably free from
wailing about his country's sacrifices. The communique issued this
morning contains the greater part of the truth. Caillaux has gone
back with an offer from H.M.G. that they would accept 10 millions
cash unreservedly and 2 1/2 millions of French receipts out of the
Dawes scheme. This to be increased proportionately if the French
have to make any relatively bigger payments to America.

The personnel of the British representatives on the Chinese
Exterritorial Conference are being selected. [21] The name of Sir
Matthew Nathan [22] has been mentioned.

In conversation with Wellesley [23], who is temporarily in charge
of the F.O. while Tyrrell [24] and Gregory [25] are away, he said
that he thought the China troubles were far from over and that we
are in for a long disturbed period there. He knows a good deal
about China as he has specialised in its affairs for years.

O'Malley [26] (F.O.) in the course of philosophising in his report
on his recent trip through Russia and Persia (a most interesting
report by the way, although of no great importance): 'All
Englishmen are aware of something in Americans recalling the
atmosphere of a private school or the servants' hall!'

I have just had another session with Capt. Egerton (Director of
Plans, Admiralty) which brings out some points of interest, to me
at least, and which I will send you next week.

Stonehaven [27] has written to me asking me to go up to Liverpool
to talk to him before he leaves, as he goes straight from Scotland
to Liverpool. So I'm making a hurried 24-hour trip up there
tomorrow.

With best wishes, I am, Yours sincerely,
R. G. CASEY