The Henson Journals

[121]

Monday, February 11th, 1929.

A bitterly cold day, the coldest we have had. I worked at the Charge all the morning: walked in the Park in the afternoon: motored to Norton & instituted the new Vicar there in the evening. After the service we dined with Sir Frank Brown.

This book "Boston" grows less impressive as one wades through it. As a composition it is ill–constructed. It suffers from its impossible attempt to give a full narrative of facts while working out some kind of a plot. The propagandist purpose of the writer is too plainly disclosed, & the weak points of his case are too evident to be concealed. That these two Anarchists were treated with much injustice must probably be allowed. All the notorious defects of American Legal procedure were grossly exhibited in their case. That public opinion at the time was so exasperated that fair play for Anarchists was almost inconceivable is apparent. But, when all this has been admitted, can it be denied that these two men, confessedly eager propagandists of the most destructive opinions, presented a problem, of which the solution was hardly consistent with law or justice, as these are generally understood.

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