The Henson Journals

[294]

Friday, May 21st, 1926.

Lying in bed in a nursing home is certainly a condition unfavourable to literary production! Yesterday went through better than I had continued to hope. Lillingston & his son, Charlie, came to see me in the morning. He is going to marry again almost immediately "for the sake of the boys." Perhaps the argument had been stronger when the boys were younger: for Charlie is now 19, and goes to Cambridge in the autumn. |Lionel came to me during the afternoon, and I dictated several letters. ] Among these were one to Williams & Norgate asking that my undertaking to write the volume on the Reformation might be cancelled, & another to the Archbishop of C. telling him that I must perforce absent myself from the Lambeth meeting on Prayer Book Revision.

This morning we learn that the P.M.'s proposals have been rejected by the miners. On the whole, I incline to think that Baldwin wd act wisely if he now withdrew farther from interference, & insisted on some settlement being reached by direct discussion between the mine–owners & the Union, if possibly, by districts.

[295]

Ella paid me a brief visit, bringing me the typed letters for signature, which I had dictated yesterday. Soon after she had gone, Colonel Blackitt called, and talked with me for half an hour. He is very gloomy about the strike, which, he fears, will drag on until the Government have to take the mines over. What the consequences to the nation will be are unimaginably grave. He spoke of Herbert Smith, the miners' leader, with whom he has often been brought into contact. He holds him to be a man of considerable intellectual power, great brutality, and (as all the Labour Leaders) enormously afraid of losing his place if he goes against the stream of Labour opinion. He is not improved by his prominence, nor by his Russian experiences. I learned with concern that Blackittdoes not thinkBaldwin's proposals are practically sound: even if accepted, they probably would not work. Nothing could be more futile than the Committee to which all manner of issues are to be referred. Blackitt is himself a member of this Committee, & his description of its discussions was sufficiently amusing, though, indeed, sad enough too!

[296]

The Bishop of Jarrow came to see me about 6 p.m., and stayed for half an hour. He seems to have worked vigourously, so that the disturbance of confirmations by my illness will not be great. Scarcely had he gone, before a considerable thunderstorm broke. The lightning was almost continuous for nearly an hour: & the crash of thunder was terrifying. This, perhaps, explains the extreme depression of spirits which has lain heavily on me all day, & which is ever the effect of thunder! The surgeon came & examined my wound, from which he removed the stitches. This looks like progress!

---