The Henson Journals

[125]

Thursday, January 20th, 1921.

Mrs Lowther told me the following on the authority of Count Bentinck, with whom she is distantly connected: when the Kaiser fled from Germany, he was hospitably received by Count B. In spite of his distressed circumstances, Wilhelm insisted on maintaining his imperial dignity to the great inconvenience of everybody. Count B. is a collector of valuable china, and he had placed some of it in the Kaiser's apartments. When the china was badly broken, he complained to the responsible servants, & was answered with much rudeness. Indignant at such treatment, he addressed his complaint to the Kaiser himself, but with no better result. Drawing himself up, & striking an attitude, the fallen autocrat replied to his host, "This is the first occasion on which any one has presumed to trouble the German Emperor about broken crockery"! What personal devotion can be yielded to a man capable of such behaviour?

Lord S. [Scarbrough] observed that the Speaker had remarked on the poor quality of the Labour members in the House of Commons. They are not only uncultivated and ignorant men, which might have been expected & could hardly be astonishing, but they are curiously unintelligent & lacking in personal force. It is only the great fear with which "Labour" inspires us all, that causes us to attach so much importance to Clynes, Thomas, Adamson, and Barnes. Their sincerity is as doubtful as their political counsels are practically absurd.

[126]

I breakfasted pleasantly with Lord S. [Scarbrough], and then walked to the Club, where I found the Bishop of Exeter. We both attended the meeting of the Ecclesl Commission, which sate from 12 noon to 2 p.m. The application from the Dean & Chapter of Durham came up, & was, I think, equitably settled. The sums asked for (viz: £6000 for the fabric, & £30,000 for the school.) will be advanced on condition that a sinking fund be established to pay off the loan in 25 years. I lunched at the Athenaeum, & wrote to Mary Radford. I went to Hugh Rees Ld, and ordered several books. Then, after tea, I read the "Edinburgh Review" – Shadwell on "Capitalism", and the Editor on "Ireland", both good – & walked back to Park Lane.

I dined quietly with my host and hostess. We talked amicably about many things, but nothing adhered to my memory afterwards.

"Proinde tu quoque strepitum istum inanemque discursum et multum ineptos labores, ut primum fuerit occasio, relinque teque studiis val ortio trade. Satius est enim, ut Atilius noster eruditissime simul et facetissime dixit, otiosum esse quam nihil agere." (Pliny) "It is more satisfying to loaf in the country, than to be busily fussing about trifles in London" – that is, indeed, true, but when the country (i.e. Auckland Castle) offers not mere loafing but serious activities directed towards serious ends, there can be no doubt that I am justified in conceiving a vast disgust for London!

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