Churchill, Curtin, and Casey

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 145, 2 April 1942, Page 4

Churchill, Curtin, and Casey

By

WHIM-WHAM

[The ‘Australian Prime Minister, Mr. J. Curtin, said that as far as he was concerned the incident concerning Mr. R. G. Casey’s appointment as British Minister in the Middle East and to a seat in the British War Cabinet was now closed. He intended to table formally the correspondence.-Cable from Canberra.] HAT Churchill said to Curtin May for ever be uncertain, And History may be hazy About what was said to CaseyAnd, indeed, it’s more than strange That the Matter of a Change In a Ministerial Post Should have stirred up such a Host Of Statements, Imputations, Correspondence, Explanations, Rumours, Hints, Expostulations! Was it Curtin lost his Patience? Was it Casey who began it? Or did Churchill wholly plan it? Oh, the very Waste of Time By such Statesmen seems a Crime! Does it matter if the Error Was committed at Canberra, Or if Washington or Downing Street was guilty of the crowning Indiscretion? Need we mention There’s a War that needs Attention? But now the Squabble’s ended And the Breach (if any) mended, I reflect with Satistaction On Democracy to Action: Though, if Wrangles must occur, Z We should very much prefer Them to pass away discreetly, Settled swiftly and completely, Not with Correspondence tabled, Statements made and Comments cabledStill, if that can’t be evaded, Let the Facts be all paraded, And let Demos disentangle Every Angle of the Wangle! ’ It’s less Confidence-destroying, Less annoying, when enjoying Information in such Cases On an All-or-Nothing Basis!