(Due to arrive Melbourne-5.12.25)

My dear P.M.,

I have seen Mr. Amery [1] and Mr. Chamberlain [2], Tyrrell [3],
Davis [4], Wellesley [5], Hankey [6] and others in this last week
in connection with sounding them on their reactions to the various
suggestions for possible extension of the liaison scheme, which
goes to you in another letter. I opened the conversation with them
all by saying that the proposals I wanted to talk about were ones
that had developed in the course of correspondence between myself
and Melbourne, and that, whilst I had no reason to suppose that
you were in favour of any or all of them, yet I would be glad to
know how they were viewed at this end, so that you might have this
in mind when giving them consideration.

I found Mr. Chamberlain in very good form. The Locarno success is
fresh in his memory and has quite rejuvenated him. [7] He got
almost a regal reception at the railway station on his arrival
back in London and he has had congratulations showered on him ever
since.

He is never fluent or easy with his words in spontaneous (as
against prepared) conversation, and, yesterday, although full of
smiles and obviously elated when speaking of Locarno, his diction
was particularly halting. Speaking of Chicherin [8], he described
him as 'searching about for a policy' (see my LON. 155 of 22nd
October). He seemed pleased at having got him thinking.

Mr. Chamberlain, in describing to me what he considered the ideal
state of things as regards the Dominions and Foreign Affairs, said
that he hoped one day to see the High Commissioners accredited to
the Foreign Secretary and authorised by their Governments to
maintain touch on Foreign Relations. He visualised them as having
a 'Commercial Official Secretary' and a 'Diplomatic Counsellor' as
their permanent Civil Service advisers on the two sides. The
'Diplomatic Counsellor' to do the work I am now doing and to
correspond directly with his P.M. as I do, but to keep the High
Commissioner in touch with controversial subjects, and to prepare
briefs (after consulting his P.M. as to the course of action) for
the High Commissioner on subjects on which it was necessary to
negotiate or discuss with H.M.G. in the name of the Dominion
Government. In the eyes of the F.O., the 'Diplomatic Counsellor'
would be the servant of the High Commissioner although the
'Diplomatic Counsellor', poor fellow, would in his own eyes have
two masters-the H.C. and his P.M. All of which, after all, is not
particularly helpful.

He said that if the above state of affairs ever materialised, he
would like to have weekly conferences with the High Commissioners
and their 'Diplomatic Counsellors'. He spoke of Smit's [9]
ambition to be a High Commissioner, and, as he put it, a 'Casey'
at the same time.

The Canadian election was rather a disappointment, except for the
fact that Mackenzie King is eclipsed temporarily. [10] Without
particularising, his downfall is the subject of almost universal
rejoicing within the privacy of numerous august walls.

I went out to see the wind-up of Wembley [11] I on Saturday last.

I used to think that our Australian Pavilion was not as good as it
might have been, but in the course of my last couple of visits, I
have changed my mind about it. Always when I have been there, it
appears to have far more visitors per square yard than any other
pavilion. Smart [12] tells me that he estimates about twelve
million individuals went through it, and I think he said that the
cost over the two years worked out at about 2 1/2d. per person, or
the cost of a stamped and posted circular.

With regard to Lord Cecil [13], one gets the impression, in
conversation with people, that he is not much of a force in things
today. He is regarded rather as an amiable League enthusiast, who
is alright as long as he is carefully watched and not allowed to
go too far on his own. His home life is deplorably lonely, as his
wife is stone deaf and he has no children.

I have not yet heard who is being considered as the new Governor-
General of Canada. Some people think that Haig's [14] tour through
Canada lately was an indication. It is said also that the Duke of
York will be sent abroad soon to some post but I have not heard
his name connected with Canada. He would want a lot of coaching
and stagemanaging. [15]

The appointment of E. F. L. Wood [16] as Viceroy of India has
apparently pleased people here. I hear that both Ronaldshay [17]
and Peel [18] were considered, but it was thought that Wood
carried more guns. He is a very earnest, godfearing man, of a
country type, of good presence, with a very suitable wife, and
lots of money. He knows something of agriculture, which will be a
help to him in India. His main fault is that he is lazy, which in
the P.M.'s eyes is not, I expect, such a vice as it might be
considered in other more athletic-minded quarters.

At the end of a meeting of the Economic Committee of the Cabinet
recently, Birkenhead [19] lurched out of his chair and said it had
been the most depressing morning he had spent since he had looked
into his own financial affairs!

A minor matter of a little interest. I spoke of Spencer Pryse
[20], the artist, in a recent letter. He was responsible for some
of the very early war posters in 1914, such as the well-known one
'There will be widows in Flanders'. This particular one and
several others were executed to the order of the Ulster Irish for
themselves, but owing to the squashing of the Irish trouble
following on the outbreak of war in 1914, they were not required
and so were used in England -with the title altered, in this case,
from 'There will be widows in Ulster'.

I am, Yours sincerely,
R. G. CASEY