The Henson Journals

[131]

Tuesday, August 19th, 1919.

Our plans have been disconcerted by a letter from Cloan saying that the Haldanes [Steel–Maitlands] cannot conveniently receive us on the 21st inst. This fell in with the message from the Argyll Company that they could not have the car ready before that day. So we arranged with Dorothy to stay here until the 22nd, & then to motor to Sauchieburn.

I read through the Prime Minister's speech in the House last night. It is uncomfortable reading. The situation of the country is threatening in the last degree.

We (i.e. Ella & I, with our hosts) lunched with Lord Glasgow and his wife. Kelburn contains a tower & some rooms of 1581: but most part of the house dates from 1700, and one part is as recent as 1896. Lord G has recently returned from naval service in the far East. He describes the Bolsheviks as monstrous, murderous folk, whose criminal misgovernment cannot last much longer: but he seemed to have made no real effort to understand their political creed, & owned that "he had never seen a Bolshevik".

Charles Parker went off to his business in London, and I had the more conversation with his two brothers, Edmund and Ernest, the first has lived long in California, the last is an officer in the Navy. We prolonged our discussion until close on midnight.

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