The Henson Journals

[292]

Wednesday, October 21st, 1925.

We discussed last night the probable consequences of our democratic experiment in India, & Lord S. quoted the opinion of an eminent Anglo–Indian engineer to the effect that "we should lose India in five years". Lord Hardinge thought the process would be more gradual, but he agreed that we should lose India. I asked him whether he knew Ghandi, and he said that Ghandi was particularly deferential to him, as having championed the cause of the Indians in S. Africa. He was a sincere fanatick.

I was interested in Lord H.s account of the Kaiser Wilhelm, whom he claimed to know well. He believed that he was really opposed to War, but not strong enough to stand up to the warlike tendencies. He was a weak man, physically, mentally, & exorbitantly vain. The Crown Prince had stayed with him in India, & given him much trouble & anxiety by his pranks. Our talk turned on Dick Sheppard's criticisms of the Prince of Wales, which we agreed in condemning, while admitting that H.R.H. was a cause of anxiety. So we gossiped pleasantly enough.

[293]

Another wet warm day made the session of the Bishops' House more than ever fatiguing. We were mostly concerned with trivialities: we were not well directed, for the elder Archbishop was plainly tired, and the younger was plainly confused. The Hall is acoustically bad, & there is much disturbing noise from the street outside. We sate in private, & became irrelevant & conversational, with the result that we made very slow progress. At our present pace I calculate that we shall not complete our task under ten years! The general impression was that we had wasted the day.

I lunched with Jack Boden in the Oxford & Cambridge Club. He had got a friend of Hutton's, a S. John's Oxford man, named Hoare, to me – an ill–looking but pleasant–speaking man, who was prodigiously friendly at short notice!

The papers report our proceedings yesterday at some length. It was a practical mistake on the part of 'liberals' to vote in the minority, as it gave the impression of divided counsels.

I received a characteristically devoted letter from Jimmie.

[294]

I dined in Park Lane with mine host & hostess. Sir Rennell & Lady Rodd came to dinner, & we had some interesting conversation. He spoke very favourably of Mussolini, and said that his position in Italy was more firmly established than before. The fatuity of his opponents had played into his hands. Lady Rudd began to talk about religion, which she held to be petering out. None of her servants went to Church, therein following her example. I made such defence of Christianity as was possible, but, indeed, my heart almost fails when I recall the facts, of which I know so much more than the critics of Christianity. Sir Rennell expressed great apprehension of the developments in China, where the vast population was in contact with Bolshevism by the land routes. Rather to my surprise Lord S. said that he had a pew in Gough's church at Brompton, & worshipped there. He liked the service, but the preaching was a succession of topical 'stunts'. After dinner I retired to my room to write letters etc. & left mine host & hostess at Bridge with their guests. Thus ends a dull, and, I suspect, wasted day.

---