Evening star., 1941-05-09
Delegation Greets
Menzies on Arrival
For Four-Day Visit
AustroIiun Statesman
And Hull Discuss
Mutual Problems

Robert Gordon Menzies, Australian
Prime Minister, arriving in WASH
ington for a four day visit to confer
with Government officials on mat
ters of mutual interest to the United
States and Australia said today
that the volume and speed of Amer
ican assistance would determine the
length of the war.
Mr.. Menzies, fresh from consulta-
tions with the British war cabinet
in London, said he had no doubt of
eventual victory over the Axis pow
ers, but that the struggle would be
a long and costly one.
Greeted by Delegation.
On a round-the world tour which
already has carried him As 900 miles,
Mr.. Menzies was met at Union Sta
ton by American, British and Aus
tralian officials when he arrived this
morning on a train which had
brought him from Ottawa.
The delegation welcoming him in
cluded George Summerlin, State De-
partment chief of protocal; Sir
Gerald Campbell, British Minister,
ranking British diplomat in Wash
ington in the absence of Lord Hall
fax, who is on Midwestern speak
ing tour; Richard Casey, Australian
Minister; A. S. Watt, first secretary
of the Australian Legation. and
Comdr. D. H. Harries, Australian
naval attache.
Mr.. Menzies, accompanied by Mr..
Casey, began a busy schedule with
a call on Secretary Hull that lasted
nearly an hour. He declined any
public comment on the discussion.
Secretary Hull described the con-
ference as general interchange of
information and ideas in regard to
international affairs of mutual in
terest.
1t was considered likely that the
Presidents indisposition would post
pone meeting originally scheduled
today between Mr.. Roosevelt and the
Australian Prime Minister, who met
here previously in 1885.
Visit Is Unofficial
The visit of Prime Minister Men,
zies is unofficial He comes here be-
cause the United States lies on the
route to Australia from England,
where Mr.. Menzies has been until re-
Gently. While there he participated
in the councils of the British war
cabinet. However, it is thought that
Informally he will discuss with high
officials both the British and the Far
Eastern situation as it now exists.
Asked if he carried any message
from British Prime Minister
Churchill to President Roosevelt,
Mr. Menzies said he carried nothing
of a public nature" Asked If this
implied some private communica-
ton, he quickly answered, 1T i'm
plies nothing"
Mr.. Menzies declared that Austria
has chief needs from America are
aircraft and certain classes of ma
chine tools. In addition, he men,
toned shipping and the means of
protecting 1t for the maintenance
and protection OF our vital interests
overseas"
The Australian statesman empha-
sized the commonwealth support of
Britain in her war against the Axis
powers, declaring there was no dis
satisfaction on the part of Australia
in connection with the campaign in
the Balkans.
ANY stories of this sort are the
usual exaggerations, well known If
one individual in one country says
anything worth headline in an
other country which is thus con-
strued as voice of public opinion" ;"
he said
Mr.. Menzies said that Australians
generally resented the misunder-
standings abroad on this particu-
lar point.
He declared that Australia was
fully consulted daily during the en-
tire Balkan campaign, and pointed
out that he was sitting constantly