The Henson Journals

[67]

Wednesday, September 7th, 1927.

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Miss Haldane told me that she had asked Lord Sinha what he thought of "Mother India". He replied that it was mainly a true picture, but omitted some factors which, in fact, mitigated the cruelty and grossness which it discloses. He thought it would do good in opening men's eyes to the risks involved in the effort to "democratize" India, & especially to the practical impossibility of subordinating Mohammedans to Hindhus. This was the gist of his reply, not its actual words.

Lord Haldane speaks quite freely of his relations with the Labour Party. He imagines himself to be playing the rôle of "guide, philosopher, and friend." "I wonder they don't excommunicate me," he says. But, of course, he is very useful to these cunning revolutionaries during this interval, while the hoodwinking of the nation is necessary in order that there may be time for the poison of their doctrine to be disseminated, & to work.

At breakfast conversation turned on the coal industry, and our noble & learned Viscount expressed an optimism in general, and a callousness in particular, which made me feel very indignant, but, beyond observing that his attitude seemed to me essentially identical with the famous, if apocryphal, saying, "Let the people eat grass", I restrained myself!

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Ralph and I had some talk after breakfast. He speaks very confidently of a future in which Christianity & Science will have reached a genuine harmony. He speaks with as near an approach to enthusiasm as his nature permits of scientific men, their simplicity of mind, sincerity, passion for truth, and disinterestedness: but how far his judgment may be affected by the copious compliments which these gentlemen pour out on him is not clear. However, I am at one with him in thinking the religious world a pinched & prejudiced thing, to which one's inevitable attachment as a clergyman is the shadow on one's life. If Christianity could be set free from that cramping encasement, the gain to mankind would be great.

I walked with Lord Haldane for half an hour. He told me that he and his two brothers had walked 103 miles in 32 [and a half] hours. His brother, John, the chemist, had ordered their commissariat. They took food at the end of every stage of 12 miles. Now – at the age of 71 – he could hardly walk at all, but his mind was clearer & quicker than ever before, a fact which greatly facilitated his work on Appeals. He spoke with more respect than confidence of the League of Nations, & observed that Lord Parmoor's advocacy did it more harm than good! He agreed with me in thinking that Lord Cecil's resignation was a blunder.

[69] [symbol]

Dr Ross and his wife lunched here. She is sister to George Adam Smith. He has retired from active ministry on account of his health. G.A.S. is revising his well–known book on Isaiah, and has omitted some observations on women, which were included in it. The female aggression carries all before it.

After lunch we motored through a very beautiful country which was seen to great advantage as the weather became sunny & warm. We had tea with a Popish lady, Mrs Balfour Melville, & returned to Cloan about 6.20 p.m.

After dinner I had a good deal of talk with Lord Haldane about the individuals who now occupy the political stage. I said that Ramsay Macdonald was the Kerensky of the English Revolution, and, rather to my surprise, he did not dissent. He agreed that R.M. was vain and mendacious! He would not allow that Winston Churchill was intellectually eminent, but only that he possessed extraordinary gifts of expression, spoken & written. He thought it not improbable that when a successor to Baldwin had to be found, the Conservative Party would take Douglas Hogg, rather than Austen Chamberlain or Winston Churchill.

So we went to bed at 11.15 p.m.