The Henson Journals

[55]

Tuesday, August 30th, 1927.

We left Sandbeck Hall shortly after 11 a.m., and motored to Auckland Castle about 3.40 p.m. We travelled by way of Borougbridge and Piercebridge, thus avoiding the towns. At Boroughbridge we lunched very comfortably at the Three Arrows, and attractive hotel framed out of a country house. The weather was brilliant, and all along our route, the harvesting of the crops was in progress. Considering the unreasonable weather which has generally prevailed during this month, the appearance of the crops was surprisingly good, but, of course, the appearance may be, and often is fallacious. I found a considerable accumulation of letters & bills; & forthworth set to work answering the first & paying the last "George A. Bermingham" has sent me a little book called 'Ships & Sealing–Wax'; and J. G.Wilson sent "Moses, My Otter' by Frances Pitt. I have never hitherto supposed that the otter was tameable, but it is here presented as docile. affectionate, intelligent and fascinating. The method of applying to animals the language commonly applied to human beings may be indispensable, but it is none the less misleading, since it implies an assumption which is unproved & improbable viz. that animals like human beings think.

[56]

Lord Hardinge explained to me the genesis of the Entente with France, of which he claims paternity. An ambassador in St Petersburg, 'the Russians were horrid to us', and the diplomatic situation became very insecure. He perceived that we could only improve it by 'getting to Russia through France'. This method he urged on Lrd Lansdowne, and on the King. The latter readily adopted his point of view, & through his influence into the scale. He describes Edward VII's visit to Paris. When he arrived the Parisians shouted 'Vivent les Boèrs'; when he departed, they mobbed him with shouts of 'Vive le bon Edouard'!

Lord H. expressed several times the opinion that the growing dislike of America among all sections of English people – a sentiment which he thought natural, and indeed personally shared – was politically very dangerous, since the peace of the world mainly stood on the agreement & cooperation of the two English–speaking powers. He was not at all sanguine as to the future, and agreed with my suggestion that Italy was the point of greatest peril. 'Taken together with the Balkans', he said, 'Italy under Mussolini is the danger'. He said that his Notes and Papers would make a sensation if published, but that he would not publish them during his own life–time.