The Henson Journals

[223]

Monday, August 1st, 1927. Bank Holiday.

I spent the whole day in loafing, talking, and intermittently reading. The weather began well, but became rather heavy in the afternoon, when some rain fell, but mainly it was fine.

The papers report the death of Arthur Hardinge's only surviving son, a lad of 15, who was killed at Margate when riding a motor–cycle. He came into collision with a motor van. His elder brother died in the same way, when bicycling at night from Cambridge. This is tragedy indeed.

Colonel Oldham writes to acknowledge my letter. He says, "I am sure that your letter will form an effective introduction to the question for members of the House of Lords." So I suppose the precious document will be sent out, but whether it will assist the Revised Prayer Book appears to me to be doubtful. More harm than good comes but too often from the fussy exertions of the zealous! The H. of L. least of all tolerates admonition!

[224]

I asked Sanderson whether he thought that the Roman Church had re–established its dominance in the Free State, and he replied in the affirmative. The disappearance of the gentry had left the priests in sole possession. They were the only persons to whom the peasants could now turn for help in distressful times. It was reported that the priests found it extremely difficult to get in their Easter dues, the people being really unable to pay. The Free State Government seized the cattle of the peasantry for taxes, & this had left them without resource. Accordingly many had perished of starvation.

"In spite of amendments albeit very precise inscribed in the Federal Constitution after the War of Secession, the North has never been able to impose on the South its solution of the negro problem. It is not certain that the South and West have succeeded better in imposing on the East their point of view in the matter of prohibition."

This is M. Siegfried's conclusion on the vexed question of Prohibition. His disgust of American Puritanism is apparent throughout his very careful & discriminating discussion.

[225]

Mrs Houston, who is a Roman Catholick, sate beside me at dinner. It was suggestive & amusing to compare her account of the Free State with that which I received from Mr Sanderson this morning. She assured me that hunting went on gaily, and the Punchestown Races had never been more successful. Dublin was flourishing, & the people had lost 'the hunted expression' which once marked them. The Church had more than re–established its authority. She spoke strongly against the Presbyterians, & so did Mr Sanderson. I was interested to hear that she objected to their being described as Protestants, this title being properly applied only to the members of the Protestant Church of Ireland. This was undoubtedly the sense which the word bore in the XVIIth century.

Mr Neil Chaplin told me that he was educated at Oundle School; that he was confirmed there by the present Bishop of Winchester, who was then Bishop of Peterborough: and that he had the greatest admiration for his headmaster Saunderson, who "let you do whatever you liked"! This was illuminating.

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