The Henson Journals

[172]

Monday, September 10th, 1917.

1134th day

Glorious weather from start to finish; & the harvest prospects improving hourly. The papers filled with the revelation of Sweden's abuse of her diplomatic privileges to assist Germany's submarine campaign. This fresh disclosure of the widely–ramifying treachery of Prussia is made by the U.S.A. government, & must lead to grave consequences in Sweden.

I walked into the city after Mattins, & called on Pattison, the Mayor–elect, whom I charged to provide a new curtain for the large window in the Hall of a material stout enough to exclude all light to the satisfaction of the special constables. Then I frittered away the morning until lunch time. I lunched with Knowling. Ellershaw was also there. After Evensong I walked with Bayley. The afternoon post brought me a letter from Ernest Rudling, shewing that when my thoughts turned to him on Saturday night, his thoughts turned to me. This subtle communication of minds cannot be disputed. A very slight development of it would enable one to have knowledge of another's situation, and action. After dinner I wrote to Ella, & then amused myself by reading Johnson's Lives of the Poets.

The evening paper reports that Korniloff has demanded supreme power, and that Kerensky has replied by dismissing him, & appointing another Generalissimo. But Korniloff is hardly likely to take his dismissal "lying down": he would hardly have acted without foreseeing Kerensky's refusal, or without having made sure of support. So we may certainly expect to receive some exciting news from Russia shortly. It is sufficiently obvious that the chance of any effectual resistance being offered to the advancing Germans grows small. If Sweden should now elect to cast in her lot with Germany, & invade Russia from the North, it is hard to see how the Russians can make any serious opposition. The probability of the Kaiser's triumphal entry into Petrograd before the end of this year will be greatly increased if a civil war breaks out in Russia.

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