SUCCESSOR TO MR LYONS

Southland Times, Issue 23796, 19 April 1939, Page 5

SUCCESSOR TO MR LYONS

Mr Menzies To Lead Party

GOVERNMENT MAY BE RESHUFFLED Future Discussed With Country Party (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received April 18, 11.40 p.m.) CANBERRA, April 18. Mr R. G. Menzies, who resigned last month as Attorney-General, was elected leader of the United Australia Party today, succeeding Mr J. A. Lyons, who died in office as Prime Minister on Good Friday. Mr W. M. Hughes was runner-up. Mr Menzies will meet Sir Earle Page, leader of the Country Party and Prime Minister since Mr Lyons’s death, tonight to discuss the future of the Government, which will possibly be reconstructed. Four candidates offered themselves for leadership of the United Australia Party at a full meeting of the party today. In addition to Mr Hughes, Mr Menzies and Mr R. G. Casey a surprising nomination was that of Mr T. V. White, the former Minister of Customs.

The High Commissioner for Australia in London (Mr S. M. Bruce), who is now at Los Angeles, was not nominat-

ed, as it was felt that an invitation to offer himself would have to be practically unanimous to induce him to assent.

Sir Earle Page told the Press that he had had a radio-telephone conversation with Mr Bruce today, and Mr Bruce had said that he had no desire to enter party politics in Australia again, but he would, if required, return to lead a National Government, under which he would have the right to select Ministers from any party, including Labour. It is reported that Mr Menzies had only a narrow victory over Mr Hughes—three or four votes. The actual figures are not disclosed. Mr Bruce’s offer to lead a National Government if required has been deferred for the present. Mr Menzies had a bad fall on the steps of Parliament Buildings while proceeding to the party meeting today. He chipped his elbow and required hospital treatment. He appeared at the meeting in the afternoon with his arm in a sling.

Mr Menzies was born in Victoria in 1895 and was educated in Melbourne. Called to the Bar, he practised in the Melbourne courts and became a K.C. He also took a keen interest in politics and was elected a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Mr Menzies was soon recognized as one of the most brilliant young politicians in the State and when a new Ministry was formed in May 1932 he was made AttorneyGeneral, Solicitor-General and Minister of Railways. Besides being one of the leading lawyers in the Courts he was a recognized authority on the Australian Constitution. Mr Menzies was the founder of the Young Nationalists in Victoria. For several months in 1934, because of the illness of the Premier (Sir Stanley Argyle) he was acting Premier. Efforts were made several times to induce Mr Menzies to enter Federal politics and in September 1934 he was elected to the House of Representatives. On the creation of the Lyons Government shortly afterwards he was appointed Federal Attorney-General in succession to Mr J. G. Latham. He was described as the biggest man, both mentally and physically, in the Cabinet.

In 1935 Mr Menzies went to England on two missions. One was to conduct before the Privy Council a case for which he had been briefed. The other was to deal with foreign affairs on behalf of the Australian delegation which attended the King’s Jubilee celebrations and took part in informal discussions on Imperial questions. In London he was sometimes addressed as Mr “Mengles,” the Scottish pronunciation, but he had adopted the phonetic version of his name.

Mr Menzies resigned from the Cabinet last month because of his opposition to the shelving of the national insurance scheme.