Object Lesson

Australia's Prime Minister John Curtin (and Mrs. Curtin) paid a duty visit to Canada last week. Prime Minister Mackenzie King happily showed the Curtins the sights of Ottawa. The visiting Prime Minister's official calls were so routine, his dutiful speech to Canada's Parliament so dull, that Ottawans hardly knew he was there. But newsmen did. Curtin, once a newspaperman himself, gave Canada's Mr. King a dinkum lesson in how to handle the press.

King introduced his guest to Ottawa's press corps. The Australian settled himself into an easy chair, said: "Now put on your wig and gown and put me in the witness box." Someone asked Curtin if he was completely satisfied with the result of the Empire Conference from which he was returning. Said Curtin: "The only man who is completely satisfied is one who has passed into Valhalla or is placed alongside the Almighty."

King looked amazed as Canadian correspondents sought to draw out Jack Curtin on his ideas for an Empire Secretariat, which King opposes. The Conference had not adopted Curtin's views on centralization but it had not changed his opinions. He said so.

Ottawa correspondents wrote about the differences between the Australian and their own Prime Minister. King's press conferences are rare, seldom oftener than twice a year. Curtin sees the Australian press twice a day. Curtin chain-smoked throughout his interview, jabbed at the . air with his cigaret holder to emphasize his points. At his press conferences Mr. King usually sits Buddha-like with his hands folded on his lap, seldom lifts his voice above a dreary drone. Curtin welcomed questions, answered directly and enjoyed the session. Mr. King finds a press conference an ordeal, resents questions, seldom answers them directly.

The correspondents hoped their own Prime Minister would pay heed. Washington and New York newsmen, awaiting Curtin's arrival this week, hoped that he would put up as good a performance in the U.S.

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