The Henson Journals

[27]

Tuesday, September 22nd, 1914.

49th day

I finished the Article for the Church Quarterly, & sent the MS. to Headlam. Mrs Pease lunched here before attending the Sub–Committee of Organization. I presided over that body, & wasted my afternoon in the process. Donaldson, the Master of Magdalene, called & had tea. He had never seen the Deanery before, & seemed impressed by it. After dinner Cruickshank came to see me, bringing the dolourous tidings that no less than 3 cruizers have been sunk in the North Sea by German sub–marines. This disaster, following so quickly on the boastful taunts of Winston Churchill reported in this morning's papers, is very regrettable. Italy & Roumania are waiting on events, & any failure on our part at this juncture might decide their action or inaction against us.

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On Wednesday, Sept. 23rd, we left Durham, and were absent until Tuesday, the 6th of Oct., when I returned, leaving Ella to follow later.

NORWICH

On Wednesday, the 24th Sept, I preached in Norwich Cathedral on the occasion of the Dedication Festival. We stayed at the Deanery with the Beechings until Monday, the 28th, spending the time pleasantly in motor expeditions to see the churches. On Sunday evening, the 27th, I preached to an immense congregation in the nave of the Cathedral. The next day we proceeded to London, & stayed two nights with Pearce & his sister in Little Cloisters. On Wednesday, the 29th, we went to Birchington to visit Mother & Marion, Here we stayed until Saturday,

CANTERBURY

when we went to Canterbury to visit the Spooners. I preached on Sunday (October 4th) twice in the Cathedral, first to the soldiers in the nave, & next to the evening congregation in the Choir. The spectacle of 2500 young men in khaki was very moving. A curtain had been [29] suspended in the nave to assist the acoustics, which had been found hopeless without some such arrangement. I was subsequently assured that my sermon was well heard, but there was too much coughing for my liking. After service I stood with the General, & saw the men file past. They looked vigorous & determined. On Monday morning I had a long talk with the Archbishop, who was staying with the Spooners together with Mrs Davidson. He spoke very frankly about the Kikuyu business, & was at some pains to persuade me of the soundness of his cautious position. He said that all the members of the Lambeth Conference Committee had attended except the Abp. of Sydney: that they sate without consultant divines: that they examined at length all the three bishops immediately concerned: that they all signed the Report which they had presented to the Archbishop. Numerous statements from various parts of the Anglican communion had been sent in: & some, as for instance one from Bishop Lawrence of Massachusetts, had been of considerable value. Then Ruth Spooner shewed us over the Cathedral: we all lunched with the General & Officers at the Old Palace: & I went with the Archdeacon for a walk afterwards. On Tuesday the 6th of Oct. we left Canterbury, & travelled to London. We lunched at S. Paul's Deanery. Mary & Linetta came to lunch. Ralph & I walked in the Temple–Garden until it was time for me to get away to King's Cross to catch the 5.30 p.m. express for Durham. I travelled with no other excitements than those provided by occasional irruptions of the Archdeacon, & an invasion of soldiers. The train reached Durham shortly after 10.30 p.m.; Cummings and the car met me at the station.

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Issues and controversies: Kikuyu