(Due to arrive Melbourne-10.7.26)

My dear P.M.,

I have just had half-an-hour with Sir Frank Heath. [1] I had read
his report previously. He is very delighted with the results of
his trip to Australia and asked me to express to you again, in the
most cordial language, his very great appreciation of the way in
which he was treated in Australia, both by you personally (which
he lays great stress on) and by everyone else of importance with
whom he came in contact. [2]

He seems genuinely gratified with the facilities that were put at
his disposal and by the open-minded way in which his
recommendations were received. I know Julius [3] personally and I
think you have got a very first-class man. I look forward to
seeing him here next month.

2. I had half-an-hour's talk this morning with Sir Samuel Hoare
[4] and Sassoon. [5] Hoare is to deliver a speech on the Imperial
Aspect of the Air to, I think, the British Empire Association
tomorrow and he wanted merely to run over the ground quickly in
conversation with regard to what he was going to say. He asked my
opinion about it and I gave him my views for what they are worth.

He is going to make a tactful reference to the fact that, in the
course of two years, he hopes that the Government Airship will
have made a trip to Australia, and he will refer to the necessity
before that time of an airship mooring mast being erected at some
terminal point like Sydney in Australia.

With regard to the possibility of air communication with
Australia: this was dependent on the development of the airship
rather than of the aeroplane for the greater part of the route. He
laid great stress on the amount they had learnt in the last two or
three years regarding airship construction. This had had
practically no publicity but he made repeated mention of the fact
that the advances were very real. He looks forward to this country
being well ahead of all other nations in airship construction and
running in the next decade. He says that even now we have well
outstripped both the Germans and the Americans.

At his invitation I am going up to see a modern aerodrome at
Duxford (near Cambridge) and the airship construction depot and
mast at Cardington (near Bedford) in a week's time.

Sassoon did not have very much to say. He smelt of scent.

3. I do not know whether you yet know that Lord Salisbury [6] is
going to Canada shortly and thence on to Australia, where he will
join up with the Empire Parliamentary Association Delegation. He
knows and gets on well with Mackenzie King [7], and the Prime
Minister [8] wants him to talk to Mackenzie King and try and get
at what he is driving at before the Imperial Conference.

4. You will see amongst this week's press cuttings an article by
Sisley Huddlestone [9] from the 'New Statesman' of 4.6.26, in
extension of the idea of having the League Council differently
composed to deal with different questions, which I mentioned on P.

4 of my LON. 368 of last week. [10]

5. You are getting a good man to command the 'Sydney' in Commander
Boyd. [11] He was in the 'Hood' on the Special Service Squadron
and seems a first rate fellow.

I am, Yours very truly,
R. G. CASEY

On 10 June, Casey cabled Bruce with news of his plans to marry
Ethel Marian (Maie), daughter of Sir Charles Ryan, on 24 June, and
asked for three weeks' leave. Casey's cable, with Bruce's
handwritten draft of congratulations and leave approval
underneath, is on file AA:A1420.