The Henson Journals

[4]

Monday, April 22nd, 1918.

1358th day

I got some private talk with W. after breakfast. He gave a dark view of the moral situation in France. "There seems to be a dense fog of evil which takes you by the throat". French officers had begged him not to judge France by what was now the case in the Northern District, where the British armies were now in occupation. The War had created a flood of sensuality before which everything went down. Practically every French woman was a harlot. The extent of venereal disease was so great that the strength of the Army was seriously affected. An alarming spread of sodomy was becoming apparent. This gloomy picture was not drawn from a morbid imagination, but was a transcript of the facts. He gave a very ill account of the Portuguese, whose cowardice nearly caused an immense disaster, and whose morals were abominable. Yet we read eloquent descriptions of their valour, & formal congratulations are addressed to them by our Leaders!!

I left Ross at 10.32 a.m. & had an hour in Hereford before going on to London by the 12.42 noon. Goudy got in at Malvern, & Professor & Mrs Wright of Oxford. Their conversation whiled away the time. I drove to King's Cross & settled my bags in my room. Then I went to Garland's Hotel in Suffolk Street, & booked a room for next Monday. I dined in the Athenaeum very pleasantly with Sir Henry Newbolt & then went back to King's Cross.

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