MR CASEY AT WASHINGTON

Southland Times, Issue 24057, 22 February 1940, Page 7

MR CASEY AT WASHINGTON

Arrival By Plane In Snow Storm “MAKING FRIENDS FOR AUSTRALIA” (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received February 21, 11.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, February 21. The first Australian Minister to Washington (Mr R. G. Casey) landed hi a snowstorm, six hours 20 minutes late. The only persons waiting to welcome him were eight newspapermen, cameramen and a radio official. The British Ambassador (Lord Lothian) and State Department officials waited at the airport for an hour. Lord Lothian arranged to meet Mr Casey tomorrow. The aeroplane grounded again at Greensboro 271 miles from Washington. The air line explained that it could have flown blind but the storm area exceeded the 200 miles limit set for blind flying. In spite of obvious tiredness, Mr Casey freely answered newspapermen’s questions and briefly broadcast over the west coast network. His easy manner impressed newspapermen favourably. Mr Casey said: “I hope the United States Minister to Canberra (Mr C. E. Gauss) and I will be able to interpret one country to the other with good

results to both. I do not expect I will be able to show immediate and great results. The process will be a gradual one of making and widening a circle of friends and acquaintances for Australia.”

He emphasized that the present Legation was purely temporary and added that he hoped eventually Australia would build her own Legation in Washington. Mr Casey said that he inspected the Lockheed and North American Aviation Companies’ factories where work was proceeding on Australian orders. He met leading executives of the aircraft industry at dinner.