Tuesday 24 Nov.

John A. returned to Gt Bardfield.
Dentist: no good: two teeth must come out. Pewter cigarette case for Tom 7/6.
To Jenny at Curzon St. Found her not there. Left an angry note.
To "Moraina of Spain" in Brewer's yard to buy wine (Fascist Spanish boss, pro-Govt [Government] clerk.) Rioja Blanco 6 [6 bottles] & Negro 6 [6 bottles] and 1874 Brandy 1 [1 bottle] – 61/- in all.
To Jaegars. Jenny made me buy a Vicuna coat for £22; also I got a vicuna scarf 22/- and warm gloves. To Allen: ordered a new (blue) suit & a grey-blue waistcoat. Then to Spotted Dog in Burton Mews. Met Pat Moran and Tony Wheeler. Tony Wheeler hardboiled, married, speaking against Jenny living alone without a "background" — "you'd only get a chap like Pat ,"[RG] if you wanted to marry." Letter from Rennes: Señors [sic: Senores] of Son Beltran and Moli collecting for Trabajo para los pobres1 in France. 3,000,000 francs raised. Anita not sending: is not sure whether it will be used for right purposes. A.G. to tea, and said goodbye. Laura to Fortnum & Mason for presents to Can Caballo2: & button presents for Lucie, Maisie etc[RG]
*[RG] Saw Winston. Told him of the importance of his coming out strongly for British prestige. He said "Both sides imbued with blood" – country wouldn't stand intervention. I referred him to cinema audiences. He asked "Do you wish for intervention?" I said "Not in any sense of taking sides in Spain but of defending British interests in Mediterranean." He said "7 French Deputies have just been making frantic appeals to me to urge intervention – best brains in country." Lamented British military weakness. All Baldwin's fault. Most pessimistic. Equal chances of victory or defeat, if war. Thanked me for coming. Will make a speech tomorrow that hopes will please me.
But I had got him into a state – rushing up and down the room. "What can we do?[RG] Baldwin is in power and ×××× [indecipherable] Parliament is lethargic." I said "not so lethargic as you think." Speak out and you'll [sic: youll] have an overwhelming popular following. Everyone's [sic: Everyones] waiting for it. I said "Press propaganda does not represent the country's feelings – look at Roosevelt [sic: Rooseveldt] 2-1 victory when press 3-1 against him."
Missed supper: ate bread & cheese & candied melon with Mrs Fuller3, Bridget, Bill to coffee. [sic: ..] Bill advised me as to libel in the letter I sent to the Trustees4 (mentioning T.E.'s disparaging opinion of Savage & his hostility) endorsing L.H. and asking for return of contribution to "Fifty Lies about Lawrence." Bill talking some thoughtless nonsense about women in positions of responsibility; but was gently laughed at by all.

Editorial Notes

1 "Struggle for the poor" eds.
3 Bill Fuller's mother? or wife? eds.
4 T.E.Lawrence trustees eds.

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: ink correction
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: black

Places Mentioned

  • Great Bardfield

    Great Bardfield, Essex, UK
    Home of John Aldridge and Lucy Brown at "The Place" RG, WPG 249-50

  • Curzon House

    Mayfair, London, England
    Jenny Graves' lodgings starting September, 1936 eds.

  • Old Brewer's Yard

    Shelton Street, London, England

  • Burton Mews

    Westminster, London, England

  • Rennes

    Rennes, France
    where Gelat's daughter, Anita, and son-in-law, Juan Vives live; visited by RG and LR et al in 1938 eds.

  • Son Beltran

    Llucalcari, Majorca, Sp
    Farm-house near Llucalcari. WG

  • Molí, Es

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Large estate which Gelat divided up and sold for the owner. The farm-house was bought by Juan Mayol. RG & LR bought the Posada, Es Piñets and part of Ca'n Madó. WG

  • Can Caballo

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Schwarz' house. (Ca s'Cabalito. The house had a little bronze horse on the balustrade.) Three doors away from Canellun. WG

People Mentioned

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Maisie

    Sommerville, Maisie
    Head of BBC Education broadcasting department. Friend of R.G. and L.R. Arranged accomodation for them when they returned to London as exiles. W.G., eds.

  • Jenny

    Nicholson, Jenny
    Jenny Nicholson: oldest daughter of Robert by Nancy Nicholson.

  • Tom

    Matthews, T.S.(Tom)
    American journalist. Took sabbatical from TIME and arrived in Deyá in 1930. Involved from then on with L.R. and R.G. WG

  • Liddell Hart

    Liddell Hart, Capt. Basil
    War-fare expert and friend of T.E. Lawrence. Collaborated with RG on a book of T.E.L'.s letters, published in 1938. See RPG p.231. WG & Eds.

  • T.E.

    Lawrence, T. E.
    'Lawrence of Arabia.' Met Robert in Oxford in the early twenties. Made Robert his biographer and had him write "Lawrence and the Arabs." WG

  • Aldridge

    Aldridge, John
    (1905-1983), painter and close friend and collaborator. WG m. to Lucie Brown 1940 eds.

  • Lucie

    Brown, Lucie
    Married artist John Aldridge. eds.

  • Swartz

    Schwarz, Georg
    German Jew. Deyá neighbour. Antique dealer. Lived with Frau Emmy Strenge, his house keeper, in Can Caballo some hundred yards from Canellun. RG and LR translated his "Almost Forgotten Germany." WG

  • Anita

    Ana, Anita
    Marroig. Gelat's daughter, married to Juan Vives the Doctor's brother. Live in Rennes, France. WG

  • Bridget

    Bridget
    London milliner, with Aage Tharup's KG

  • Bill Fuller

    Fuller, William
    lawyer and researcher for Antigua Penny Puce KG; m. to Mary Fuller eds.
  • Turner, Henry Watson
    Graves' dentist whose office was at 59, Wimpole Street; RG names him interchangeably: Turner-Watson, W. Turner, and Dentist eds.

  • A.G. (A.E.S.G)

    Graves, Amy
    Amy Graves, RG's Mother. WG

  • Churchill

    Churchill, Winston (Sir)
    On the island [of Majorca] December 1935. W.G. In 1936 R.G. had an interview with him in London , and expressed his concerns about the Spanish Civil War. (Diary: November 1936) eds.

  • Allen

    Allen, J.B.
    London tailor KG

  • Pat Moran

    Moran, Pat
    lover of Jenny Graves RPG (261)

  • Tony Wheeler

    Wheeler, Tony
    friend of Pat Moran and Jenny Graves RPG (261)

  • Strenge

    Strenge, Frau Emmi
    Schwarz's house keeper and ? mistress. WG

  • Baldwin

    Baldwin, Stanley
    (1867-1947), three-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom eds.

  • Savage

    Savage
    Arnie Lawrence's agent KG

Organizations Mentioned

  • Jaeger, London

    Jaeger
    Clothing store on Regent St. eds

  • Moraina of Spain

    Moraina of Spain
    wineseller in Brewer's Yard, London eds.

  • Fortnum & Mason

    London shopping centre eds

Bibliography

    • Title: Lies About Lawrence [RG contribution to?]
    • Author: Graves, Robert