Hurtful Hurry

Australia's 245-pound, athletic former Attorney General Robert G. Menzies (pronounced as spelled, not mengies as in Scotland) was in a big hurry to get to Parliament House in Canberra one day last week. The United Australia Party was meeting there to choose a leader to succeed the late Prime Minister Joseph A. Lyons (TIME, April 17), and Mr. Menzies had reason to think he might be picked--which would mean that he would almost automatically become Prime Minister. In his great rush Mr. Menzies slipped, fell, sprained his arm. He finally appeared at the meeting with his arm in a sling and was at once chosen leader of the U. A. P.

Two days later Governor General Lord Cowrie asked him to form a cabinet. The big question was whether Mr. Menzies, who is forceful but not tactful, could get the conservative United Country Party to cooperate with the more liberal U. A. P. as Joe Lyons had skilfully done. As he began to line up a panel, again in a big hurry, he met with another accident which sprained his spirit.

Sir Earle Page, leader of the Country Party, Acting Prime Minister since Joe Lyons' death, had promised to carry on until a new Ministry was formed, possibly hoping that he might form it. But Sir Earle resigned in a huff and delivered one of the bitterest speeches Australian politics had ever heard. He accused Robert Menzies of being a stubborn mule, a backstabber, a coward. As proof of the last epithet, he charged that Mr. Menzies had resigned from the Army during the War instead of going overseas. Like many another Briton, Robert Menzies stayed at home to finance the family while his brothers went to war.

At that the House broke into an uproar. "What a thing to bring up now!" shouted

Laborites. Robert Menzies slowly rose to his feet. His voice trembled as he began to speak. If the Country Party had closed the door to coalition for reasons of high policy, he said, he could respect it, but it had been closed for reasons which were offensive, personal, paltry, irrelevant. The House cheered. But when Robert Menzies later went knocking for ministers, he found the Country Party door not only closed but bolted and barred. Even so, early this week he finally succeeded in forming his Cabinet.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.