(Due to arrive Melbourne-26.12.25)

My dear P.M.,

There is no doubt that you will have the floor practically to
yourself at the next Imperial Conference. Your election has
created great interest here, and if I had to generalise as to the
effect of it all on the mind of the 'average man', I should say
that he read it as a straight-out sporting fight between you-
Bruce-and a certain rather undefined, but possibly dangerous Red
menace, which he has seen a lot of fuss about both in these
islands and elsewhere. You have had a first rate press, except in
certain unimportant and peevish organs with a low circulation.

In the course of the next few months, I am going to get together
material for a few speeches on Anglo-American relations, and
kindred subjects, which I will submit to you, for your possible
use if you do elect to come to the next Imperial Conference by way
of America.

If there are any other subjects you would like worked up
beforehand, so that they will be ready and out of the way when the
rush comes, I will set about them if you will let me know.

If you wanted a Private Secretary for the American trip and while
you were in London, I think my brother [1], who is with Elder [2],
would do you well. He knows America reasonably well and I am sure
you would find him replete with all the necessary secretarial
virtues. I think he would give his ears to do it as I gather from
reading between the lines that he gets little chance to spread his
wings with Elder.

The farce of French politics continues. [3] It is a wearisome
business trying to keep up with it. One begins even to think that
a 'Mussolini' would be a good thing for them. And all the time my
French Rentes (bought years ago and never had the sense to cut my
loss) become more and more worth the paper they're printed on.

The 'Daily Telegraph' story that Trenchard [4] is to resign and be
succeeded by Steel [5] is quite inaccurate in both particulars.

Quite a novelette romance in Siam. The King put away his wife
because, notwithstanding her every effort, the poor creature was
unable to produce a successor to the throne. The King in his old
age took another wife and in due season (which was a few days ago)
an heir was about to be born. The King meanwhile fell grievously
sick and it became a matter of dual skill on the part of the royal
physicians to retard the one event and to hasten the other. If a
son and heir were to be born before the King died, the succession
was secure; if after his death, then his brother (not too well
beloved) succeeded. The skill of the physicians prevailed and the
child was born a day before the King died but was a girl!

I am, Yours sincerely,
R. G. CASEY