The Henson Journals

[37]

Thursday, May 20th, 1909.

A cloudy & rather cold day. Our windows open on the lake, & command a lovely view. We took a pleasant walk before the meeting at 10 a.m.

We began well. Mr Justice Maclaren of the Ontario Court of Appeal read an excellent paper on "Our International Boundary": and Dr Wu Ting Fang, Chinese Minister to the U.S., read another in very good English, in which he made quite a pathetic defence of the warlike character of the Chinese. Then came the Fanatics. The Rev. Frederick Lynch of the Pilgrim Church, New York, delivered himself of a frenzied tirade against the Churches for their failure to propagate peace–at–any–price. He was followed by the "Hon. J. Allen Baker, M.P., England", who poured forth the too familiar screed of the Little Englander, which sounded disloyal as well as fatuous in this country.

In the afternoon we were taken for a long & pleasant drive to Minnewaske, where are two more of the Smilie hotels. Admiral & Mrs Stockton introduced themselves to us, & formed very agreeable companions. We saw a fine waterfall on the way.

In the evening the session was notable for a humourous speech from the Japanese Consul General in New York, and a 'breeze' raised by a short speech[38] in which I corrected Messrs Allen Baker & Lynch. The succeeding speeches did not wholly remove the impression of sanity which was made: the "platform" was subsequently drafted in a more temperate vein: & many of the more reasonable members of the conference thanked me for my speech.

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