§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DOMINION AFFAIRS (VISCOUNT CALDECOTE)My Lords, the Commonwealth of Australia and the whole Empire have suffered a grievous loss by the death of three distinguished members of the Cabinet of the Commonwealth Government and of the Chief of the Australian General Staff. Mr. Fairbairn, the Minister for Air, Brigadier Street, the Minister for the Army, Sir Henry Gullett, Vice-President of the Executive Council, and Lieutenant-General Sir Brudenell White, together with Colonel Thorn-thwaite and Mr. Elford and the crew, have lost their lives as the result of the crash of the aeroplane in which they were travelling to Canberra. Your Lordships will, I know, desire to express your deepest sympathy with the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth and his colleagues, and with the people of Australia. The three Ministers and Sir Brudenell White all held posts of critical importance in connection with the prosecution of the war, and their loss will be deeply felt. We mourn the death not only of distinguished public servants, but of men who were close friends to many of us here.
§ LORD ADDISONMy Lords, speaking on behalf of my noble friends on this side of the House, we should like to associate ourselves with what the noble Viscount has said in this matter. At no time more than to-day are men of experience precious. Therefore it is the more lamentable that this tragic loss should have occurred. It appears to be one of the penalties we pay for the advancement of mechanical inventions in transport, and it is one of the risks which men engaged as these were must run.
THE MARQUESS OF CREWEMy Lords, I may be allowed to add a word of sympathy with the Government and 164 people of Australia in the grievous loss which they have suffered. At any time we should have felt that sympathy here, but at this moment, when the ties of our free Imperial associations are so closely bound—more closely, perhaps, than ever before—that sympathy is redoubled. I am sure we desire to offer every condolence we can both to the Government and to the people of the Commonwealth.