The Henson Journals

[110]

Palm Sunday, March 28th, 1920.

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A violently tempestuous night heralded the change to summer time. We all went to the Cathedral at 8 a.m., and received the Holy Communion. The newly–confirmed boys from the school and the choir made their first communion. Before starting for Pontesbury I had some talk with Harold Goad. He thinks the religious outlook in Italy unfavourable, for the people are materialistic and the Church hard & bigotted [sic]. The Yugo–slavs are, he says, mostly keen Catholicks, and very priest–ridden. Italy represents the modernist, secularist world. If he were disposed to assist in effecting a settlement of the Dalmatian question, the Pope could do much, but his Holiness disdains to let mundane considerations affect his policy! Goad says that the Italians took "temporary wives" in the places into which they came, and that when they were withdrawn, the soldiers were escorted to the station by crowds of wailing women. The English soldiers were looked upon as a strangely continent race. Only the French were regarded (and deservedly) as corrupt. Their black troops were by far the best behaved of the French armies. Of all the Balkan nationalities the best was the Bulgarian, and the worst the Greek. He thought highly of the Albanians, whose best friends were the Italians. Salonika ought never to have been given to the Greeks; it should have been made a free port. He spoke well of King Boris as an honest, unaffected man; not so well of the Serbian Regent Alexander, who has an incorrigible habit of playing practical jokes: on the whole well of the Greek King. These 3 young men might do much good in the world if they were so minded.

[111]

I left the Palace at 11.30 a.m., and motored to Ludlow where I lunched at the Feathers. Here I was accosted by two guests staying in the Hotel, Mr and Mrs Galloway, who claimed acquaintance with Ella. At 1.30 p.m. I resumed my journey, & motored to Pontesbury. When about Dorington we crossed country to that parish, the roads were so bad that we resolved on no account to come back that way. I confirmed about 45 candidates in the parish church. Everything went well enough, but the clergy seemed listless and ill–affected to one another, & I took the impression of a divided & languishing church. We returned to Hereford by way of Shrewsbury. The 53 miles from that city to Hereford we did in 2 hours and 10 minutes, which for us is quick travelling.

The Sunday paper reports that Fisher's much expected speech was not delivered yesterday owing to the organised disturbance of a number of elementary school teachers who objected to the Chairman, Sir Cyril Cobb. It appears that this gentleman had offended the amour propre of the teachers by referring to them as 'his' teachers! In vain did the Bishop of London appeal for a hearing for the Chairman, & explain that his only function was to introduce the Minister of Education. The clamour persisted until Fisher took his leave without delivering his speech. This episode illustrates the revolutionary temper of the age. These teachers are our hope, & principal protection against undiscipline, disloyalty, & social disruption! But they come in many cases from artisan homes, in which the spirit of "strikes" and "ca'canny" is the prevailing & dominant influence.

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