The Henson Journals

[9]

Saturday, September 5th, 1914.

32nd day

I wrote letters of condolence to Mr Shafto, Lord Durham, & Mr Rogerson. Also I replied to a letter from the Bishop of Pretoria (Michael Furse) rather angrily expressed. He challenges my quotation from Canon Bevan's Pan–Anglican Paper: & I incline to explain his action by the theory of a bowdlerised edition of the said Paper. For the paper originally printed by S.P.C.K. in 1908 does certainly contain the words I quoted. On this view, Canon Bevan must be a very disingenuous, as well as a very bigotted [sic] man.

Mr Yates–Thompson & his wife came to lunch. He is a pompous & quarrelsome person, but grew more amiable when we shewed him over the house!

The meeting in the Guildhall yesterday must take high place among the historic occasions on which that Hall has echoed oratory. The Prime Minister spoke with extraordinary fire & force: & his words were received with unbounded enthusiasm.

Mrs Benson & her son left us for Edinburgh. They are fervently attached to the British side in the War: & will carry back to America some useful antidotes to the fictions which the German Ambassador, Count von Bernstorff, is there circulating. I called on Budworth at the school. He told me that he had already obtained about 50 recruits for the Public School & University Corps. Among these is Pater, the usher at the Choir School. Steinthal desires to enlist, presumably to demonstrate that a German name can coexist with British patriotism! In his case there arises the question of making provision for his wife during his absence. If he were to fall, or be permanently disabled, presumably there is some provision made by the Country, though probably most wretchedly inadequate. In time of war there seems no limit to the soldier's valid claim on the nation, whose shield he is, but in times of peace who is going to endow too comfortably the loafers of the barracks?

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