My dear Prime Minister,

I have received your note of the 26th September, in which you tell
me that you are going to make arrangements to see Gervas Huxley.

[1] I hope that this will have occurred and that you will have
found he was able to give you useful and interesting information.

I feel sure that you will have liked Huxley for he is a very
charming fellow.

IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE

The Conference concluded its business on the 28th October, after
what I think everybody here regards as a series of extremely
useful meetings.

The work of the Conference has been kept on a practical line and
the recommendations, while not earth shaking in their effects,
seem to me likely to inaugurate an entirely new phase of inter-
Imperial co-operation in the problems of agricultural production.

The most substantial recommendations are those concerned with the
question of interchange of information. Here the Conference has
avoided the error of recommending any single central clearing
house of information on all branches of agricultural science and
has most soundly, in my opinion, decided to select certain
existing Research Stations which have an established reputation
for soundness of work and organization and has decided to
recommend that special Bureaux or Correspondence Centres should be
attached to these stations.

Three new Imperial Bureaux are recommended. The first on Soil
Science at Rothamsted where Sir John Russell, the Director of that
Station, should prove a most efficient head. The second is to be
on the subject of Animal Nutrition and is to be attached to the
Rowett Research Institute at Aberdeen, where Dr. J. B. Orr, about
whom I have written to you on previous occasions, is the Director
and from whom we can anticipate the very best and most efficient
service. The third on Animal Health or, in other words, Veterinary
Science, is to be located in London and, as far as one can say at
the moment, is not likely to be attached to any existing
Institute. Sir Arnold Theiler [2], the late head of the South
African Onderstepoort Research Station, is the Director designate
for this Bureau.

It is estimated that the cost of these three Bureaux will amount
to 13,000 a year, a very modest sum having regard to the present
cost of the Imperial Bureaux of Entomology and Mycology.

In addition to these three Bureaux, it was unanimously agreed to
recommend the creation of five Imperial Correspondence Centres.

The first at Edinburgh on the subject of Animal Genetics, with Dr.

Crew [3], a somewhat eccentric but undoubted genius, in charge.

The second is at Cambridge on Plant Breeding under Sir Rowland
Biffen. [4] The third at Aberystwyth on the Breeding of Herbage
Plants under Professor Stapledon. [5] This Correspondence Centre
ought to prove of special value to Australia. The fourth on Animal
Parasitology under Professor Leiper [6], of the London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the fifth on Fruit Production
at East Malling in Kent, where Mr. R. G. Hatton has done most
remarkable work, which incidentally greatly impressed Sir George
Pearce. [7]

While these recommendations must be regarded as the most
substantial result of the Conference, the educational effect of
the discussions was very great and I have no doubt at all that the
Conference will lead to much closer cooperation between all the
parts of the Empire.

Lord Bledisloe [8], as Chairman, was surprisingly good, apart from
one or two bad breaks during the first Session.

To most of the Overseas Delegates the outstanding impression was
the obvious eagerness of the British Scientific Authorities to
cooperate and assist. This fact made the whole atmosphere of the
Conference extremely pleasant. The only discordant notes came from
Dr. Grisdale [9], the Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Canada,
who, as perhaps you will remember, is a somewhat difficult
individual. Although I like him very much, he requires extremely
gentle handling. It is curious how at all Imperial Conferences
Canada proves extremely difficult.

I think I can say, without any hesitation, that the Australian
Delegation acquitted itself remarkably well. Every contribution
which Julius [10] made to the discussions was listened to with
great respect and his personal popularity was a marked feature of
the whole proceedings. In the same way Dr. Richardson" was
extremely effective. Dr. Cameron [12] had less to do and I
confined myself publicly to two subjects Agricultural Economics
and Horticulture.

BRITISH SCIENTISTS IN AUSTRALIA

Julius, Richardson and myself have been discussing with the
British Scientific Authorities many questions connected with the
development of the work of the Commonwealth Council for Scientific
& Industrial Research and especially in connection with the great
animal industries of Australia. The largest questions that have to
be faced are the organization of Veterinary Science in Australia,
the improvement of Animal Nutrition and Research assistance to the
Dairying industry. There is also the important question of how
best to utilise the new Agricultural Research Institute to be
established in Northern Queensland.

We are all three most emphatically of opinion that by far the best
thing Australia can do is to obtain the advice on all these
problems of Sir Arnold Theiler and Dr. J. B. Orr [13] and I sent
you a cable on this subject on the 29th of October.

As Dr. Rivett [14] has, of course, had full particulars sent to
him and will no doubt have communicated them to you, through his
Minister, I will not go into further details than to say that I am
perfectly certain that Australia would immensely benefit by a
visit from these two men, especially as they are both to be the
heads of new Imperial Bureaux. I feel also that the visit of such
a team would focus public attention on the extremely sound policy
which the Commonwealth Government has adopted in backing
Agricultural Research.

THE AUSTRALASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE

I had a letter about three or four weeks ago from Professor
Copland [15], of Melbourne, asking me whether I would write a
paper to be read before the Australasian Association for the
Advancement of Science at their Hobart Meeting in January. He
asked me to deal with the work of the Empire Marketing Board,
particularly in its economic and marketing aspects.

I have completed this and am enclosing a copy of the paper for
your consideration. I hope that you will regard it as being a
useful contribution.

I am arranging for 50 copies of the report of the First Year's
work of the Board to be sent to Professor Copland, so that if any
discussion occurs on my paper, the Delegates to the Conference may
have available this report before them. I shall also suggest to
him that if Professor Richardson, who has now been pretty
intimately associated with the Board, happens to be in Hobart for
the meetings that he should be asked to attend the section that
discusses this subject.

In a paper limited to 3,000 words, it is very difficult adequately
to deal with the origin and work of the Empire Marketing Board but
I am writing to Copland pointing out to him the part that
Australia played, through you, in the formation of the Imperial
Economic Committee and how that led to the Empire Marketing Board.

If any general discussion does occur at Hobart, you might feel
inclined to see that some person, who is prepared to take part in
the discussion, appreciates the point of view of the Commonwealth
Government in regard to these two Bodies.

COOPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY

At the last meeting of the Publicity Committee of the Empire
Marketing Board, Sir Thomas Allen, a member of the Board and of
the Imperial Economic Committee and also a Director of the
Cooperative Wholesale Society, made an extremely interesting
statement. He told us that, at the last meeting of the Directors,
instructions had been given to the Managers that they should make
a monthly return to the Board of the C.W.S. shewing what
quantities of Empire produce had been purchased and where foreign
goods had been bought when Imperial were available, giving reasons
for this action.

It would perhaps be easy to exaggerate the importance of this
statement but at the same time when one recollects the composition
of the C.W.S. and the hostility which they displayed about two
years ago to Empire trade, I think we can congratulate ourselves
on having made a definite impression upon a citadel Which accounts
for a very great deal in the total purchases of the British
working classes.

You will remember that the last time you were over here you
sacrificed an evening to attend the Christmas Festival of the
C.W.S. This action on your part was very much appreciated and has
no doubt played a considerable part in the highly satisfactory
attitude which is now developing.

Although I do not think you can actually make public this decision
of the Cooperative Wholesale Society, I have no doubt that you can
usefully communicate the news to interested people in Australia.

ASSISTANCE GIVEN TO PEOPLE HERE

The subject of the C.W.S. reminds me of one form of my activities
about which I do not think I have given you any information.

I am continually receiving from important people requests for
information or for notes for speeches or for the material for
articles on the subject of Empire Trade.

The events of the last three weeks afford four interesting
indications of this type of work.

Sir Thomas Allen, of the C.W.S., sent me an article attacking
Empire Trade published in the Cooperative Journal, informing me
that he would like to reply to it but had not the material to make
an effective answer. I therefore wrote a fairly full answer which
Sir Thomas tells me is appearing in the next issue just as I wrote
it but under Sir Thomas Allen's signature.

A few days later I had a request from Sir Auckland Geddes' [16]
Secretary for the basis of a speech on Empire Trade to be made at
the Cutlers' Feast at Sheffield.

This week Ormsby-Gore [17] has asked me for material for a speech
at Leicester where he desires to refute the Leicester people's
contention that the extreme Australian tariff on hosiery and boots
and shoes makes the action of the British Government in supporting
the Empire Marketing Board undesirable.

Finally, yesterday, Sir Algernon Firth, a past President of the
Association of British Chambers of Commerce and a member of the
Imperial Economic Committee, wrote asking for information about
Empire Trade for a speech to be delivered in Yorkshire next week.

I am sure you will agree that, for people of the calibre of those
mentioned above, it is well worth my while to take considerable
pains to put them in possession of really effective material and
the very fact that this work is so completely anonymous is all to
the good.

BRITISH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

The Municipal Elections occurred yesterday and in England and
Wales resulted in substantial Socialist gains at the expense of
the Conservatives and Liberals. In Scotland, however, the
Socialist onslaught made no impression and in fact I think the
present returns show a net loss of seats by Labour in Scotland.

I do not think the Municipal results are any guide to the state of
political feeling in this country and this for two reasons:

firstly, the known apathy of the middle class elector on municipal
questions and, secondly, the fact that Labour is, in relation to
its parliamentary political strength, extremely badly represented
in most of the Municipal areas of the country. A certain levelling
up from a Labour direction is, therefore, only to be anticipated
in this field.

FINANCIAL SECRETARYSHIP TO THE TREASURY

Today's papers announce the appointment of Arthur Michael Samuel.

[18] It is difficult to understand this appointment except on the
ground that Winston Churchill [19] considers that he is fully able
to supply all the brilliance that the Treasury can stand and wants
a dull understudy to put the House to sleep when he has finished
the discharge of fireworks.

Unfortunately Samuel's reputation as a Parliamentarian is one of
blundering inadequacy.

The two recent Governmental changes have not in any way helped to
improve the team and Baldwin [20] has neglected the opportunity of
infusion of new blood although there is certainly quite a wealth
of ability among the younger Tories.

MAJOR WALTER ELLIOT'S BOOK [21]

In my last letter I mentioned that I was sending you a copy of
Walter Elliot's book and said that I should write to you more
fully about it when I had read it. I have now read the book not
once but twice and have certainly found it extremely stimulating.

It seems to me that it is the sort of book that ought to be put
into the hands of intellectual young men and women in order that
they may realise that they can be intellectual without tending
towards the Left in politics.

I should be extremely interested, for instance, to get the
reactions of Casey [22] and of Alan Ritchie [23] on this book. Not
that I think either show signs of a leftward tendency but because
they are both men to whom I imagine the book will strongly appeal.

I am sending a copy to Mr. Latham [24], who I am sure will find it
interesting.

The title of the book is, I think, almost its worst point. I
think, apart from its general stimulating effect, its real
political value is to be found in providing suggestions towards a
scientific and philosophical attack upon the doctrines associated
with the name of Marx or, in other words, upon the intellectual
citadel of the Left Wing.

I should be extremely interested to receive your comments. Should
you by any chance find the book definitely interesting, perhaps
you would feel inclined to send Elliot a personal note, realising,
as you probably will, that no member of the British Government has
put in so much hard work for the Empire cause as has Elliot since
the creation of the Empire Marketing Board.

I am enclosing the 'Observer's' review on this book.

3rd November

EMPIRE AS AN ECONOMIC UNIT

Yesterday Sir Alfred Mond [25] made a very important speech on the
British Empire as one economic unit. I am enclosing the best
report of this speech which is from the 'Financial Times'.

I am writing to Mond asking him whether he has a verbatim copy of
his speech in order that I may be able to forward it to you by the
next mail.

I particularly draw your attention to the sentence marked in blue
pencil.

I wrote you some time ago telling you of Mond's speeches in favor
of Empire free trade and I think I also told you that I had an
opportunity of a long talk with Mond about his ideas. [26] I
impressed upon him the impossibility of a policy of free trade
within the Empire but told him that I thought that if he took the
line of urging Imperial attention to the location of secondary
industries coupled with the general policy of trying to make the
Empire an economic unit, he would be on much sounder lines.

Apparently he has definitely taken this hint and in the form, as
expressed in this speech, his proposals seem to me to be of very
substantial interest to Australia.

COOPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY

In writing yesterday I mentioned an article written for Sir Thomas
Allen, of the C.W.S. This morning's mail has brought me in a copy
of this article which I am now enclosing. It is exactly in the
form that I sent it to Sir Thomas Allen.

STANDARD OF LIVING

With further reference to this subject on which I have written
lately, I am enclosing a copy of Sir Josiah Stamp's [27] article
which was published in this week's 'Observer'. You may be
interested to read this or to pass it over to Wickens [28] for his
information.

AGRICULTURAL STABILIZATION

I am enclosing an article by R. G. Boothby [29] M.P. also from
this week's 'Observer' on the subject of 'Agricultural Policy'. As
soon as I get the time, I am proposing to give a good deal of
attention to this subject and see whether I can forward to you any
suggestions that might be of interest as the basis of an Imperial
policy in this regard.

Yours sincerely,
F. L. MCDOUGALL