A completely star performance? : Australian minister Richard Gardiner Casey in Washington, March 1940-March 1942

The Australian government in January 1940 appointed Richard Gardiner Casey minister to the United States. He sought both U.S. support for Britain in its war against Nazi germany, and a U.S. guarantee to preserve Australian security in the face of an aggressive and threatening Japan. When Casey's mission ended in March 1942, the United States had entered war in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. The limits to Casey's ministerial influence were such, however, that one hardly can credit him with having delivered U.S. belligerency. The existing literature nonetheless locates merit in Casey's ministerial mission, particularly in his highly effective public diplomacy and also in his ability to remain abreast of key U.S. decisions and strategy. This essay takes no particular issue with these findings. Instead, it finds value elsewhere in Casey's mission, and in particular in the delicate balance he struck between his twin loyalties, to both Australia and the British Empire. It also departs from the existing literature insofar as it identifies a number of issues and episodes that call into question Casey's accomplishments and acumen.