The Henson Journals

[423]

Tuesday, May 21st, 1912.

I attended a meeting in the Abbey with the representatives of the Society of Civil Engineers, who are offering to place a window in memory of Lord Kelvin. Sir Wm White explained that the monument wd be contributed to by engineers from America.

In the afternoon, I attended a meeting of the Children's Country Holiday Fund in the Whitehall Rooms. Princess Victoria of Scleswig Holstein [sic], bear–led by Lord Arran, was in the Chair. Austen Chamberlain, I, and a clown named Pett Ridge successively addressed the assembly which was a large one. The atmosphere was asphyxiating.

Mr Silas McBee called on me, & expounded at length his project of a Quarterly Review to be contributed to by picked representatives of all the churches. The man is a born 'hustler', & has raked together a fine bunch of names: but the scheme will fail.

I called on Mrs Asquith, & had a queer interview with that amazing lady. She railed at the Church of England in grand style!

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