The Henson Journals

[64]

Monday, April 25th, 1927.

The weather has developed badly from rain yesterday to snow this morning.

I had a very interesting talk with mine host on ecclesiastical questions. He is evidently restive as a Congregational minister, and discusses the possibility of seeking Episcopal Orders with suggestive absence of repugnance. He thinks meanly of the Congregational polity: and agrees with the severe judgment which I passed on the disordered individualism of the Congregational ministers. It is interesting to notice that the established Presbyterian Church seems to have no attractiveness at all to these Congregationalists. When they secede, it is to the Anglican Church. Fort Newton has been ordained by the Episcopal Church in U.S.A., as his predecessor in the City Temple was to the Church of England.

Sir Donald Stevenson sent me a cutting of his letter to the Times, which I told him mistakenly that I had not read. He said that Lord Grey was coming to stay with him shortly, so I thought it worth while to send him the following letter:–

[65]

April 25th, 1927.

Dear Sir Donald Stevenson,

It was indeed kind of you to send me the cutting of your excellent letter to the Times, which I return with many thanks. The suggestion you make is a very good one: &, if adopted, could not injure the Bill.

You will have seen in the morning paper, Mr Ramsay Macdonald's declaration that, if returned to power, he will repeal the Act. He seems to me to lack every quality that is essential to a Prime Minister – courage, loyalty, truthfulness, sense of responsibility, courtesy, temper. An emotional eloquence & a certain Byronic romanticism of aspect appear to be his main personal assets. I do not wonder that the stronger members of the faction he affects to lead are beginning to grow weary of his vanity and vacillation.

If you can restrain Lord Grey from lending his great influence to the unhelpful course [66] of mere opposition, you will have done a public service.

With kind regards,

I am,

Yours v. faithfully,

Herbert Dunelm:

The snow continued to fall until about 3.30 p.m. When the weather cleared, mine host motored me by Loch Lomond to Luss. The spectacle of Ben Lomond covered with snow was very magnificent. As we returned mine host became confidently autobiographical. He told me of his family & up–bringing, & related the circumstances in which he became a Congregational Minister. His experiences in Palestine where he was captured by the Bedouin, when walking round the Sea of Galilee, were most interesting. He told me also how he had become a rich man, by a fortunate investment in "oil", which within two or three years transformed a sum of £10,000 (which he had borrowed) into a fortune of £50,000: & we discussed the legitimacy of the investment both [67] in itself, and in the special case of a Christian minister. On the first point, I professed myself doubtful: but, on the last, I was decisively condemnatory. It was a very remarkable conversation, & throughout I was quite consciously trying to speak truthfully and sympathetically. I took the impression that my companion's conscience was uneasy. He is certainly very discontented with his position as a Congregationalist minister, and cordially endorses the unkindest things I can say about it. There would not need much persuading to get him to follow the example of Campbell and Fort Newton. Yet, would he be happy or useful in the Church of England? I doubt it. He would probably become an Anglo–Catholick, of the less devotional type: for he is ambitious, and very histrionic, but plainly lacking in devotion, and destitute of any firm hold of his beliefs. Both his parents were in the dramatic world, his father being a writer of plays, & his mother an actress. Publicity and advertisement have become second nature to him, and I doubt whether he knows or suspects how much injury to his character they have wrought.

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