The Henson Journals

[147]

Friday, August 29th, 1919.

The newspapers report the death of General Botha. This is a great loss to the Empire, & will make the situation in South Africa still more difficult. The rain fell most of the morning: so, beyond an expedition round the garden, we remained within door's [sic]. I had much talk with Fisher. We discussed the Temperance question. He is opposed to Prohibition, but more kindly disposed to its principle then I am. He has drafted a Bill which will perpetuate some of Lord D'Abernon's war time expedients, and he hopes that there will be fresh taxation on the Liquor Trade which will bring in an additional revenue of £ 50,000,000.

After lunch he & I walked to the ruins of Roche Abbey, which are most picturesquely situated some 1 1/2 miles from the house. Fisher & I walked home together, & had more conversation after tea. Lloyd George was, he says, the most considerable person at the Paris Conference, the only one who could stand up to old Clemenceau. The latter said of him that he was the only statesman who took a large view of the War. "Il parle des grandes choses grandement". When Botha returned from his visit of inquiry to Poland, he summed up his impression of the Poles by the single word 'Kaffirs'. Lord Scarbrough returned for dinner, bringing with him a pleasant & well–informed officer, named Scovell. Captain Grosvenor, a flying man, is also here.

[148]

After dinner we had a great discussion of "Labour." Fisher expressed himself in terms of high laudation of Mr Smillie, who had introduced a deputation to him, & done so with admirable courtesy & intelligence. A self–taught man, Smillie was a master of considerable knowledge, & naturally, a man of unusual ability. He was a genuine fanatick, & his treatment of noble witnesses at the Coal Commission was an explosion of fanaticism, the impolicy of which he himself now recognised. Colonel Scovellhad personal knowledge of all the Labour leaders. He too had formed a great opinion of Smillie, whom he held to be an honest but dangerous enthusiast. The iron had entered into Smillie's soul during the years of hardship when he had been "black–listed"by the mine–owners, & reduced to great straits of privation. The really dangerous man in the "Labour" movement was a fire–brand named Williams, who was a thorough–going revolutionary. Both Fisher & Scovell agreed that there existed an unscrupulous element in "Labour" which was "out" for revolution. I was unable to gather much comfort from the conversation. Arthur Henderson is thought to be an honest but extremely vain man, whose head has been 'turned' by the prominence into which the War brought him.

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