The Henson Journals

[177]

Thursday, August 23rd, 1923.

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I had some talk with Burge about the situation in the church. He is quite as much at a loss for a policy as I am, though I suspect that he still clings to the notion that the way of escape may be found in the futile method of conferences. I pointed out that an indispensible condition of any conference that could be effective, must be a preliminary understanding that everybody would accept the results arrived at by the majority.

About 2 p.m. rain began to fall, & fell heavily for the rest of the day. Ella with Mrs Burge motored to call on Mrs Rayner. I stayed in the house, & talked with the Bishop & Allen, the Principal of S. Edmond Hall.

I read rapidly through Father Woodlock's "Constantinople, Canterbury, & Rome'. It is a reply to Gore's lecture on 'Catholicism & Roman Catholicism', &, though rather rudely expressed, is effective.

Sir John Simon & Lady Simon, together with Mr & Mrs John Murray came to dinner. He looked well, & was in excellent spirits. His wife is evidently devoted to him, but she is noisy & unsuitable. However in these matters one man may not see with the eyes of another. M r John Murray is a member for one of the constituencies in Leeds. He spoke sensibly, if somewhat cynically, about the political situation. He thinks France will first edge us out of the continent, & then give easy terms to Germany on the understanding that she enter a continental combination against us!

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