The Henson Journals

[115]

Thursday, January 7th, 1915.

157th day

The Editor of the Daily Telegraph sent me a telegram asking for an expression of opinion on Cardinal Mercier's arrest by the Germans. I sent the following: 'By thrusting her brutal hand across the sanctuary and arresting Cardinal Mercier in the performance of his patriotic duty, Germany confesses involuntarily the infamy of her treatment of Belgium and challenges to conflict the powerful though unseen force of religious sentiment'. Lillingston & his wife, & Mr Quirk lunched here.

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I received from Archbishop Söderblom a long & interesting letter with which were enclosed five photo–cards of his consecration at Upsala. He is evidently filled with an irremovable suspicion of Russia, & his liking for England only just succeeds in holding him back from accepting the German version of the war. I think he is relieved by my decision to postpone the lectures on Anglicanism, though he expresses himself very civilly in terms of regret.

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