Friday, 25 January 2019

Book Review - A Delicate Mission: the Washington Diaries of R.G. Casey

A Delicate Mission: the Washington Diaries of R.G. Casey, edited by Carl Bridge

Canberra: National Library of Australia, 2008               ISBN 9780642276629

What a remarkable and interesting document! It has been said that Dick Casey was sent by Menzies to become Australia's Minister to the United States to remove him as a potential challenger to Menzies' position as Prime Minister. One hopes that is selling Menzies short somewhat, as Casey was an inspired choice for a role that was part diplomatic, part propaganistic, and part popularizer; three things Casey did magnificently in the two years he held the role. In that time he not only got on good terms with many lawmakers, but also men of influence such as Harry Hopkins, Henry Stimson, Felix Frankfurter, and so on: Casey proved to be not only of great assistance to Australia, but also the Empire in its prosecution of the War.

His diaries, skillfully edited and annotated with useful footnotes (in fact the NLA publication is very attractively done), are a fascinating insight into the machinations of the US Government and the frustrations of an Empire man trying to get some traction within a country that didn't care about the War, didn't really like Britain or the British, and (mostly) didn't know where Australia was.

From the evidence within these pages, Casey was a good networker, quickly making the most of the contacts he made to tie himself closely into the office of the US Secretary of State, as well as the British Embassy. He was assiduous in pushing the Australian Government's position, trying to get the US to support Britain in her hour of need, and warning the US about the possibilities of Japan thrusting South.

His diaries are also where Casey explored some political thoughts, and thoughts about the US and its people. He was frustrated with the US political system, where the minister responsible for policy was unable to shepherd his bill through Congress. He had little time for the business classes in America, as in his opinion they were only interested in money, some openly saying to him that totalitarianism was the most efficient way to run a country. Casey was also thinking about the post-war world, and foresaw a federated Europe, and the balance of power that eventuated in the Cold War.

Tirelessly traversing the country - often flying his own 'plane - speaking at events from New York to San Francisco and all points between, he proselytised for Australia and Britain while being careful not to try and influence opinion too much: he was clever enough to realise that the US had to enter the War of its own volition, it could not be dragged in by another actor.

While a lot of the personal material in the diary has been excluded in this publication, the reader still gets the sense of a man with a quick wit and a fine sense of the absurd, an aristocrat in outlook, but a worker by temperament, always thinking of Australia and how he could help in any way to bring victory closer. Australia was lucky to have a person of such calibre in such an important position at such an important time. It was a shame that the end of his tenure was clouded by Doc Evatt's scheming and treachery.

For the student of Australia's wartime history, this book is well worth hunting out and reading.





Cheers for now, from
A View Over the Bell

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