MR. MENZIES HERE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 119, 22 May 1941, Page 8

MR. MENZIES HERE

BACK FROM BRITAIN

BATTLEFIELDS VISITED

After his visit to the Middle East and Great Britain the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. K. G. Menzies, arrived in Auckland this afternoon from the United States by PanAmerican Clipper. He was met by the acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. W. Nash, and will be the guest of the Government at a State dinner this evening at the Grand Hotel. He will be accorded a civic reception by the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, tomorrow afternoon. At the request of the Australian authorities, no previous reference has been made of the date of Mr. Menzies , arrival.

It was towards the end of January that Mr. Menzies left Australia. He travelled by air to the Middle East and arrived at Cairo on February 4 His itinerary of travel was similar to the one now being adopted by the Prime Minister of New Zealand the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser. He visited all the camps of the Australian Imperial Force in Palestine, conferred with representatives of the Egyptian Government and the British Ambassador, Sir Miles Lampson. With Lieutenant - General Sir Thomas Blarney he flew to Tobruk and Bengasi, where he reviewed the victorious Australian troops and viewed the battlefields on which thev had defeated the Italians.

Received By Kinj?

Afterwards Mr. Menzies wont to London to discuss the war situation and Australia's part in it. He arrived there on February 20. After an Empire broadcast he was received in audience by the King and spent part of a week-end with Mr. Winston Churchill. Much of his time was devoted to visiting munition plants and in attending conferences dealing with the further development of Australia's production of munitions and supplies.

During a visit to Plymouth Mr. Menzies experienced an exceptionally heavy air raid, when fires surrounded the house in which he was a guest, members of *his staff assisting in rescue work in the neighbourhood. Last month he was in Eire. He had an interview with Mr. de Valera, whose point of view "greatly interested him," the Prime Minister said later. Flight To Lisbon At the request of Mr. Churchill. Mr. Menzies extended his stay in Great Britain while the immediate crisis in the Balkans and Libya was at its height. He went by a Dutch air liner to Lisbon, piloted by Captain Parmentier, who took part in the Centenary air race to Melbourne before the war. He was escorted part of the way by aircraft of the Coastal Command. He arrived at Washington on May 10, and was the guest of honour at functions arranged by the Secretary of State Mr. Cordell Hull, the British Ambassador, Lord Halifax, and the Australian Minister, Mr. R. G. Casey. He also discussed world affairs with Mr Roosevelt, who was ill in bed. Mr. Menzies was said to have made an impression in Great Britain and the United States comparable with that left by Mr. W. M. Hughes in the last war. British authorities and commentators agreed that the forthright confidence and speeches of the Australian Prime Minister acted as a tonic for the times, matching the exploits of the soldiers from his country. A New York newspaper pointed out the resemblance of Mr Menzies to Mr. Wendell Wilkie in physical appearance, background and personality as a spokesman of the English-speaking democracies.