The Henson Journals

[66]

Saturday, January 14th, 1928.

I spent the morning in the Committee, hearing the evidence of Mr Deacon, the Stipendiary Magistrate of Liverpool. He made a very favourable impression on me, as a just, sympathetic, intelligent & humourous man. I asked him whether there existed in Liverpool as in London any class which could be described as 'male prostitutes', & he replied in the negative. Thus Liverpool is placed with Manchester and Birmingham as free from professional male vice. But Mr Deacon indicated than non–professional vice of this kind was tending to increase. London with its vaster demand has created the profession. I went back to Park Lane for lunch. Katherine, Duchess of Westminster, was there, & gave us a vivacious account of motoring in the great snow–storm. I caught the 5.30 p.m. express, and was met at Darlington by Alexander & the car. I beguiled the journey by reading Ludwig's Bismarck, which I completed within five minutes of my journey's end. The last phase of the terrible old man's career is described with much dramatic power. He wound up as he had probably begun, a Pantheistically minded agnostick.