Tiberius with a Telephone

by Patrick Mullins

  Tange to McMahon, 5 December 1969, in Edwards, 2006, p. 173.

  McMahon to Tange, 12 December 1969, ibid.; Tange, 2008, p. 20.

  ibid.

  ‘Record of conversation: Prime Minister and Mr McMahon at 2.10PM, Thursday 27 November 1969’, NAA: M3789, 39.

  Sir James Plimsoll interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 1967, p. 350.

  Hearder, 2015, pp. 209–10.

  ibid.

  Freeth had requested Gorton appoint him to an overseas post after losing the election. Gorton’s first choice was London, then Washington. McMahon suggested Japan. See ‘Record of conversation: Prime Minister and Mr McMahon at 2.10PM, Thursday 27 November 1969’, NAA: M3789, 39.

  Waller, 1990, p. 42. See also Waller to Casey, 3 February 1970, NAA: M1129, WALLER/K Part 1.

  Hearder, 2015, p. 210.

  Writing to Richard Casey, McMahon stated that his first weeks in External Affairs had left him ‘inundated with the cables’ and that his first effort had been South Vietnam. See McMahon to Casey, 18 December 1969, NAA: M1129, MCMAHON/W.

  Howson, 1984, p. 594.

  McMahon to Gorton, n.d., ‘Withdrawal of Australian forces from Vietnam’, NAA: A1838, TS696/8/4/11 Part 3.

  Mark Uhlmann, ‘Gorton as forthright as ever’, CT, 13 February 1988, p. 15.

  Reynolds and Lee (eds.), 2013, pp. xvii–liv.

  Walsh, 1997, pp. 1–20.

  ‘Nuclear Tests Conference: control posts in Australia’, 13 June 1961, NAA: 5818, 1156.

  Seaborg and Loeb, 1987, p. 252; Fairbairn, CPD HoR, vol. 54, 11 April 1967, pp. 1070–71; CPD HoR, vol. 54, 13 April 1967, p. 1214.

  Gorton, CPD Sen, vol. 10, 8 May 1957, pp. 604–09; Trengrove, 1969, pp. 204–05, 250.

  Carr, 1979, p. 169.

  Sir James Plimsoll interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 1967, p. 121.

  Hubbard, 2004, pp. 526–43; Clohesy and Deery, 2015, pp. 217–32.

  Hewitt to Gorton, ‘The nuclear treaty’, 28 April 1968, NAA: A5619, C48 Part 1.

  Mozley Moyal, 1975, pp. 365–84.

  Hubbard, 2004, pp. 526–43; Sir James Plimsoll interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 1967, p. 121.

  Walsh, 1997, pp. 1–20.

  Gorton, ‘Federal elections 1969 policy speech’, 8 October 1969, PMC Transcripts.

  Walsh, 1997, pp. 12.

  See McMahon’s cabinet submission no. 772, ‘Construction of a Commonwealth sponsored nuclear power station in Australia’, 8 September 1969, NAA: A5882/2, CO11 Part 1.

  Mozley Moyal, 1975, p. 373.

  ‘American embassy Canberra (Rice) to Secretary of State [Secret]’, 30 January 1970, RG 59, Box 1688, Folder ‘Def 7 Ausl–US–1/1/70’, US National Archives, Maryland. My thanks to Professor Jacques E.C. Hymans, who provided me with the text of this cable.

  McMahon to Gorton, 6 February 1970, NAA: M4251, 19 Part I.

  Cabinet submission no. 120, ‘Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons’, 13 February 1970, NAA: A5869, 120.

  Gorton’s marginalia on cabinet submission no. 120, ‘Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons’, 13 February 1970, NAA: A5619, C48 Part 2.

  Cabinet meeting, 17 February 1970, ‘Sir John Bunting’, NAA: A11099, 1/108. For another of the records of the meeting, see cabinet meeting, 17 February 1970, ‘PJ Lawler’, NAA: A11099, 1/284.

  Cabinet decision no. 141, ‘Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons’, 18 February 1970, NAA: A5869/1, vol. 6, 141.

  Martin Reith, 27 February 1970, FCO 24/677, British National Archives, Kew, London.

  Robert Howard’s uncertain explanation for why cabinet had seen fit to reverse course on a commitment made only months before is indication of how the matter was overshadowed. See Howard, 1970, pp. 109–16. See also Stan Hutchinson, ‘Australia to sign atom pact’, SMH, 19 February 1970, pp. 1, 6.

  McEwen to Gorton, 7 January 1970, quoted in Hancock, 2002, p. 266.

  Hewitt to Gorton, quoted in Hancock, 2002, p. 266.

  Cabinet submission no. 97, ‘Proposal to establish an Industry Development Corporation of Australia’, 23 January 1970, NAA: A5869, 97.

  Cabinet notebook, ‘PJ Lawler’, NAA: A11099, 1/282.

  Cabinet minute no. 87, ‘Proposal to establish an Industry Development Corporation of Australia’, 28 January 1970, NAA: A5869, 97.

  Cabinet decision no. 115, ‘Proposal to establish an Industry Development Corporation of Australia’, 5 February 1970, NAA: A5882, CO817 Part 1.

  Cabinet notebook, ‘PJ Lawler’, NAA: A11099, 1/283.

  Les Bury interviewed by Mel Pratt, NLA Oral History, TRC 121/70.

  Malcolm Fraser interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 2162, p. 447.

  John Gorton interviewed by Clyde Cameron, NLA Oral History, TRC 1702, vol. 1, pp. 322–24.

  See inset, p. 4, ‘Sir John Bunting’, NAA: A11099, 1/107.

  Howson, 1984, p. 597.

  ibid., p. 602. When, late in February, the charter for the AIDC was presented to the parliamentary draughtsman for comment (the night before cabinet was to consider it), the draughtsman was moved to write to the attorney-general that the charter was ‘full of commercial jargon and gobbledegook, and uses words that I suspect do not even exist in the English language’. Moreover, the charter did ‘not have a constitutional feather to fly with’. See inset, ‘Sir John Bunting’, NAA: A11099, 1/109.

  Fraser’s talent had early been recognised by US observers. In 1964, he was one of two parliamentarians to be awarded a US-funded grant to study overseas. Whitlam was the other.

  McMahon wrote to Gorton on 6 February suggesting he speak on 10 or 12 March and that ‘logically’ his statement should precede Fraser’s defence statement. By the time Gorton replied to that letter, on 21 February, he noted that events had overtaken them, and that Fraser’s statement needed to occur as soon as possible, with McMahon’s to follow thereafter. See Gorton to McMahon, 1 December 1969; McMahon to Gorton, 4 December 1969; McMahon to Gorton, 6 February 1970; and Gorton to McMahon, 21 February 1970, NAA: M3787, 39.

  Howson, 1984, p. 601. Fraser had also given a speech on 12 February to a Perth audience of Young Liberals that encroached on McMahon’s territory. See John Bennetts, ‘Defence sets the foreign policy pace’, CT, 31 March 1970, p. 2.

  Plimsoll to McMahon, 5 March 1970, NAA: M3789, 39.

  Fraser and Simons, 2009, pp. 189–90.

  Kellow and Carroll, 2011, pp. 93–111; Carroll and Kellow, 2012, pp. 512–25; Carroll, 2015, pp. 229–40.

  Flood, 2011, p. 55.

  McMahon to Gorton, 2 April 1970, NAA: M4251, 19 Part 1.

  Cabinet minute no. 305, 30 April 1970, NAA: A5873, 305.

  Chapter 30: Le Noir

  J.G. Crawford’s note, loose insertion in copies of John McEwen: his story, ed. R.V. Jackson. A copy of this note, annotated by McMahon, is in the author’s possession.

  McEwen, 1983, pp. 75–76, 79–80.

  McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 120, 25 November 1980, pp. 32–33.

  McEwen, 1983, p. 85.

  Bowman to McMahon, 12 March 1984, copy in the author’s possession.

  Chapter 31: Battles

  When McMahon corresponded with Gorton about the prospect of a ministerial statement, in December 1969, he specifically cited Freeth’s statement and emphasised that ‘it was a prudent practice to make a submission to cabinet prior to important statements being made involving changes of policy’. See McMahon to Gorton, 4 December 1969, NAA: M3787, 39.

  As Malcolm Booker, a diplomat with the department at this time, was later to note, attempts to persuade McMahon to give ‘a firm public lead on the Russian issue were met with the response that he was not going to let what happened to Freeth happen to him’
. See Booker, 1978, p. 200.

  Howson, 1984, pp. 611–12.

  McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 65, 19 March 1970, pp. 675–85.

  ibid.

  John Bennetts, ‘Defence sets the foreign policy pace’, CT, 31 March 1970, p. 2; ‘Our foreign policy’, CT, 21 March 1970, p. 2; Howson, 1984, p. 612.

  For background to Malik’s proposal, and Indonesia’s positions during the conference, see Teik Soon, 1972.

  Cabinet decision no. 299, ‘Conference of Asian Foreign Ministers on Cambodia’, 30 April 1970, NAA: A5873, 299.

  ‘Australia backs meeting on Cambodia’, CT, 28 April 1970, p. 1.

  Cabinet notebook, ‘PJ Lawler’, NAA: A11099, 1/287.

  Gorton, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 5 May 1970, pp. 1603–05.

  Howson, 1984, pp. 623–24.

  Gorton, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 22 April 1970, pp. 1456–59.

  Whitlam, ibid., pp. 1459–62.

  ‘Talks still relevant, McMahon says’, CT, 15 May 1970, p. 11.

  Author’s interview with C.R. ‘Kim’ Jones, 2 June 2017.

  Teik Soon, 1972.

  ‘Joint Communiqué — issued by the Conference of Foreign Ministers on Cambodia held in Jakarta’, Foreign Affairs Malaysia, vol. 3, no. 1, June 1970, pp. 50–53.

  McMahon acknowledged this in the House. See McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 19 May 1970, pp. 2346–47.

  I concur with Geoffrey Bolton, who called it McMahon’s ‘finest hour’. See Geoffrey Bolton, in Tyler, Robbins, and March (eds), 2014, pp. 23–69.

  Later, McMahon claimed that the most significant achievement of the conference was recognition that responsibility for regional problems — whether military, political or economic in nature — rested with the countries in the regions. See ‘Hope of Soviet help’, CT, 8 June 1970, p. 1.

  McEwen, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 5 May 1970, pp. 1597–603; Howson, 1984, p. 628.

  Howson, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 20 May 1970, pp. 2456–57.

  Daly, ibid., pp. 2472–73.

  Cabinet minute no. 74, 21 January 1970, NAA: A5873, 74.

  Howson, 1984, p. 627.

  Snedden and Schedvin, 1990, p. 89.

  Howson, 1984, pp. 629–31.

  Fairbairn, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 8 May 1970, pp. 1897–1901.

  Howson, 1984, p. 631.

  ibid.

  ibid., pp. 632–33.

  Gorton, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 15 May 1970, pp. 2242–46.

  Patterson, ibid., p. 2246.

  Gorton, ibid., p. 2246.

  Fairbairn, ibid., pp. 2256–60.

  Martin Reith, n.d., ‘Visit to Sydney and Queensland, 21–22 May 1970’, FCO 24/677, British National Archives, Kew, London.

  John Bennetts, ‘A battle won, but the war goes on’, CT, 19 May 1970, p. 2.

  Hasluck, 1997, p. 175.

  Hasluck, ‘Events following Gorton’s crisis in May, 1970’, NAA: M1767, 3.

  Howson, 1984, pp. 639–40.

  ibid., pp. 641–42.

  Author’s interview with Tom Hughes, 16 August 2016.

  Author’s correspondence with Tony Eggleton, 26 November 2016.

  Hearder, 2015, p. 229.

  Alan Reid to Sir Frank Packer, 20 May 1970, David McNicoll Papers, ML MSS 7419/3/1.

  Author’s interview with C.R. ‘Kim’ Jones, 2 June 2017.

  Martin Reith, 27 February 1970, FCO 24/677, British National Archives, Kew, London.

  Chipp and Larkin, 1978, pp. 94–95.

  Author’s interview with Tom Hughes, 16 August 2016.

  John Bennetts, ‘Liberals want federalism retained’, CT, 9 June 1970, p. 1.

  John Bennetts, ‘PM favours evolving federal system’, CT, 9 June 1970, p. 11.

  Killen, 1985, p. 159.

  Don Chipp would later suggest that understanding Gorton’s downfall required study of the Liberal Party machine. See Chipp and Larkin, 1978, p. 93.

  Author’s interview with Bruce MacCarthy, 5 August 2016.

  Maxwell Newton, ‘Economic Report’, Incentive, no. 247, 1 June 1970, p. 5; ‘Economic Report’, Incentive, no. 253, 13 July 1970, p. 5.

  Jim Killen later argued that McMahon’s leaking of the budget was ‘reprehensible’ and ‘one of the most serious indictments ever to be presented against a senior Minister of the Crown’; had it been known, Killen commented, McMahon’s ascent to the prime ministership would have been ‘made much more difficult’ and ‘somewhat miserable’. See Killen, 1985, p. 162.

  Howson, 1984, pp. 647–50.

  McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 22 April 1970, p. 1510; CPD HoR, vol. 69, 20 August 1970, p. 264; CPD HoR, vol. 70, 20 October 1970, p. 2454.

  Phillip Darby, ‘What British force for the region?’, CT, 16 July 1970, p. 2.

  C.H. Johnston to FCO, 4 August 1970, 10/78 and Carrington to FCO, 1 August 1970, telegram 862, FCO 24/645, British Archives, Kew, London.

  McMahon, Fraser, Carrington, 31 July 1970, NAA: A5882/2, CO98.

  See Howson, 1984, pp. 651–53.

  ‘Settlement basis’, CT, 4 July 1970, p. 1.

  McMahon, CPD HoR, vol. 69, 3 September 1970, pp. 981–84; ‘Cambodian aid lifted to $2m’, CT, 4 September 1970, p. 1; Cabinet minute no. 659, 3 September 1970, NAA: A5873, 659.

  McMahon to Gorton, 10 March 1970, NAA: M4251, 19 Part 1.

  Bruce Juddery, ‘Department had external-aid victory’, CT, 2 September 1970, p. 25.

  Whitlam, CPD HoR, vol. 69, 3 September 1970, pp. 984–87; Cabinet decision no. 657, 3 September 1970, NAA: A5873, 657. The so-called ‘Pearson Report’, named for former prime minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson, who chaired the commission that authored the report, presented proposals for international co-operation and spelt out the responsibilities of donor and recipient countries. For information, discussion and a summary of the report, see the February 1970 edition of the UNESCO Courier.

  Whitlam, CPD HoR, vol. 69, 15 September 1970, pp. 1144–46.

  ‘Record of conversation with His Excellency Mr Shizuo Saito, Japanese Ambassador on Wednesday 1st, April 1970’, NAA: M4252, 10.

  Flood, 2011, pp. 63–64.

  Griffen-Foley, 2014, p. 241.

  Handwriting on the bottom of the note indicates that McMahon spoke with Packer that day. ‘Olwen’ [OMB] to McMahon, 17 August 1970, NAA: M4252, 8.

  Plimsoll diary, 18 September 1970, Papers of James Plimsoll, NLA MS8048, Series 3, Box 9.

  ‘Visit by Minister for External Affairs to Japan and United States: itinerary’, NAA: M4252, 18.

  Howson, 1984, pp. 657, 659; ‘Vietnam debate needed, says McMahon’, CT, 25 September 1970, p. 6.

  Plimsoll diary, 24 September 1970, ‘Papers of James Plimsoll’, NLA MS8048, Series 3, Box 9.

  Hearder, 2015, p. 229.

  Cabinet minute no. 707, ‘Senate election date’, 30 September 1970, NAA: A5873, 707.

  Hocking, 2008, pp. 355–62.

  Hancock, 2016, pp. 156–60.

  Snedden, CPD HoR, vol. 66, 7 May 1970, pp. 1783.

  Cabinet minute no. 738, ‘Demonstrations Bill’, 20 October 1970, NAA: A5873, 738.

  Howson, 1984, p. 663.

  By November, Jess Bate was suggesting much the same thing. Howson, 1984, pp. 656, 675.

  Cabinet minute no. 727, ‘Tri-Service Officer Cadet Academy’, 14 October 1970, NAA: A5873, 727.

  See John Bennetts, 1970, ‘Mr Fraser to resubmit caded college plan’, CT, 16 October, p. 3.

  Howson, 1984, p. 667.

  ibid., p. 672.

  Adam Carr, ‘Australian Senate election of 21 November 1970’, Psephos, , accessed 13 April 2017.

  Howson, 1984, p. 674.

  ibid.

  ibid., p.
676.

  Tony Eggleton, 2014, ‘Reflections’, Commonwealth Oral History, , accessed 11 April 2017, p. 1.

  ‘Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Singapore January 1971, minutes’, 16 January 1971, CAB 164/813, British National Archives, Kew, London.

  McEwen, CPD HoR, vol. 70, 30 October 1970, pp. 3151–53.

  Rattigan, 1986, pp. 80–89.

  ‘Tariff policy’, NAA: 5869, 631, 669.

  ibid.

  Kenneth Davidson, ‘McEwen hits tariff role’, and ‘McEwen’s Tariff Board move destined to fail’, Aus., 18 December 1970, pp. 1, 12. See too Kelly, 2016.

  Bert Kelly diary, 15 January 1971, NLA MS7424.

  Rattigan, 1986, p. 87.

  ‘McEwen’s last stand’, Age, 26 January 1971, p. 9.

  Cabinet minute no. 843, 27 January 1971, NAA: 5869, 669.

  McCarthy, 2000, p. 96.

  Kenneth Randall, ‘Farewell to Black Jack’, Aus.,1 February 1971, p. 7.

  Bert Kelly diary, 28 January 1971, NLA MS7424.

  Bruce Juddery, ‘A McMahon view of External Affairs’, CT, 28 January 1970, p. 2; ‘Tinkering only at External Affairs’, CT, 29 January 1970, p. 2; ‘Planning policy in a think tank’, CT, 2 February 1970, p. 2.

  McMahon to Waller, 6 April 1970, NAA: M4252, 8A.

  This was almost certainly a slight on Hasluck, who largely discounted and eschewed policy guidance sourced from within the department. See Porter, 1993, pp. 275–76.

  Bruce Juddery, ‘External Affairs deputy chosen’, CT, 29 April 1970, p. 1.

  Peter Sekuless, ‘Promotion for 63 Australian diplomats’, CT, 1 May 1970, p. 3; G.M. Reith, n.d., ‘The Federal council meeting of the Liberal Party Canberra 8–9 June 1970’, FCO 24/677, British National Archives, Kew, London.

  Author’s interview with C.R. ‘Kim’ Jones, 2 June 2017.

  Author’s interview with Richard Woolcott, 2 February 2018.

  Gorton to McMahon, 4 September 1970, NAA: M3787, 39; Cabinet decision no. 660, ‘Department of Foreign Affairs’, 3 September 1970, NAA: A5873, 660. See also ‘Dept’s new name’, CT, 7 November 1970, p. 1.

  For some background on the reorganisation, see Fewster, 2018, pp. 182–86.

  ‘“Radical” overhaul at Foreign Affairs’, CT, 21 December 1970, p. 1; Bruce Juddery, ‘Foreign Affairs changes in a changing world’, CT, 21 December 1970, p. 2.