The Henson Journals

[106]

Monday, February 4th, 1929.

Lionel went with me to Darlington where I took the early train for King's Cross. My only compagnon de voyage was a Yorkshire M.P. named Sir M. Wilson, who was conversational. Colonel Headlam came into the carriage, & we discussed the Visit of the Prince of Wales. We agreed that its policy was doubtful, and its consequences obscure, but that its immediate effect was good. On arriving in London, I went to the Athenaeum. Then I had my hair cut &c: after which I went to the Assembly and sat through a mortally dull discussion on a Measure for the better guardianship of parish registers. The Bishop of Worcester, who had it in charge, is not an interesting speaker, & his essays at humour seem to emphasize his normal dullness. He is not really a dull man, but his performances in the pulpit and on the platform might easily make one think that he is.

[107]

[symbol]

I fell in with Buckle in the Club. He began at once on my advocacy of Disestablishment, which he admitted to be the "logical" consequence of the defeat of the Prayer Book Measure, but insisted that in England we were never logical. I said that it had not been without difficulty that I had brought myself to defend the Revision, but that, having done so, I had "nailed my colours to the mast", and "gone down with the ship". That is at least a chivalrous course, was his comment.

I cornered Haigh in the Church House, and charged him to say the truth about Cosmo Cantuar:'s illness. He said that all the talk about gall stones & appendicitis was baseless, & that the entire mischief was a "spot of pleurisy" which is persistent and ubiquitous. The Abp has now been in bed for some weeks, and is, of course, proportionately enfeebled. When he will be competent to undertake his duties appears to be very doubtful. He must certainly go somewhere to convalesce first.

[108]

I received a long letter from Canon Lacey's son, Patrick, who is now on the staff of the Manchester Guardian. He invites me to embark on a discussion of Disestablishment with him, in order that he may publish everything in the Press. The youth does not lack assurance: he would seem to be "a chip of the old block"!

There came to dinner Miss Haldane, Colonel Morgan, and another, whose name I have forgotten. Lord S. was confined to his room with a cold. We had much interesting conversation. Morgan is a clever, ambitious man, who has been much behind the scenes, during the War and since. His account of his experience when he sought acceptance in the Isle of Thanet division as the Conservative candidate, was very illuminating. He had much to say about Lloyd George, whom he evidently detests. Altogether our talk was more interesting than edifying: I suspect that my contribution to it added little to the interest & less to the edification.

---