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1933

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2009

Extract

Tuesday 3 January To the Whitefriars for luncheon; a good muster. Cecil Harmsworth, owner of Johnson's house where we meet, was there, and I thus found myself in the odd situation of standing a sherry to Northcliffe's brother. Cecil is rather a charming man, built on the Rhodes model, with hogged moustache and a general savour of tweeds about him, very quiet in a solid way, and extremely courteous. He says that his son Desmond, the publisher, is ‘too highbrow’. ‘Desmond seems to have a flair for this modern high-brow poetry, but I simply don't understand it.’ We sat at one end of the table, with Jones and me at Harmsworth's left and Fyfe on his right. When Harmsworth had gone Fyfe told us that Northcliffe always said that Cecil was the only gentleman in the family. […] At the office all was normal, but Hobson's nerves a bit on edge, due to the return to offensiveness of Brendan Bracken, I surmised.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1998

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References

1 Cecil Bisshopp Harmsworth (1899–1948); Lib. MP Droitwich 1906–10, Luton 1911–22; PUS Home Office 1915; PM's Secretariat 1917–19; Acting Min. of Blockade 1919; PUS, FO 1919–22; cr. Baron Harmsworth 1939.

2 Alfred Harmsworth (1865–1922): Newspaper Prop, inclu. The Times; cr.1st Viscount Northcliffe.

3 Cecil John Rhodes (1853–1902): diamond miner; Head of Consolidated Goldfields, Witwatersrand; Cape House of Assembly 1881; Treasurer 1884; cr. British South Africa Company to establish British colony in Rhodesia 1889; Cape PM 1890–6.

4 Desmond Bernard Harmsworth (1903–90): newspaper manager & artist; est. publishing company; painter 1930s living Paris & Tahiti, New York from 1940; sue. 2nd Lord Harmsworth 1948.

5 Oliver Risdale Baldwin (1899–1958): s. of Stanley Baldwin; Lab MP Dudley 1929–31, Paisley 1945–7; Gov. & C in C. Leeward Islands, 1948–50; sue. 2nd Earl of Bewdley 1947.

6 Stanley Baldwin (1897–1947): Con. MP Bewdley 1908–37; FST 1917–21; Près. BofT. 1921–2; Chanc, of the Exchequer 1922–3; PM 1923, 1924–29; Ld. Pres. 1931–5; PM 1935–37; Con. Leader 1923–7; cr. Earl Baldwin of Bewdley 1937.

7 John Allsebrook Simon (1873–1954): Lib. MP Walthamstow 1906–18, Spen Valley 1922–40 (Lib. Nat. from 1931); Solicitor-Gen. 1910–13; Attorney-Gen. 1913–15; Home Sec. 1915–16, 1935–7; For. Sec. 1931–5; Chanc. of Exchequer 1937–40; Ld. Chanc. 1940–5; kt. 1910, cr. Viscount Simon 1940.

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11 Ernest Musgrave Harvey (1867–1955): joined Bank of England 1885, Comptroller 1925–8, Dep. Gov. 1929–36.

12 Prof. Clarence Skinner: American academic; famous for having had his cabin on board ship invaded by journalists wrongly assuming him to be Montagu Norman. Norman would travel in the name of his Private Secretary Ernest Skinner. As a consequence Norman nicknamed Clarence Skinner by ‘Treasury’ & City.

13 Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945): Ass. Sec., US Navy 1913–20; Gov. of New York State 1929–33; Pres, of USA 1933–45.

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21 Stanley Melbourne Bruce (1883–1967): Australian MP for Flindes 1918–29, 1931–3; PM & Min. for External Affairs 1923–9; Min. for Health 1927–8; Min. for Trade 1928; Min. for Territories 1928–9; Australian Min. in London 1932–3; High Comm. 1933–45; Commonwealth Rep., UK War Cabinet 1942–5; Chm. World Food Council 1947–51; Chanc., Australian National University, Canberra 1951–66; er. 1st Viscount Bruce 1947.

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31 William Albert St John Harmsworth (1876–1933).

32 Rear Adm. Usborne (1880–1951): navy officer 1903 rtd. 1933; cr. Rear Adm. 1928; Dir. Naval Intelligence Div. 1930–2; Dir. of Censorship Div. of Press 1939–40; rejoined navy 1941–5; Special Service, Admiralty 1941–5; Chief Org. India Defence League.

33 John Tower: journalist, Yorkshire Post.

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42 Covered topics: survey, oil from coal, ‘hands wanted’, tea and towels.

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44 Alexander Kerensky (1881–1970): Menshevik Leader of Russian Provisional Govt. 1917.

45 This is a reference to C.B.'s first post-war employer, Benn Brothers, when he was employed on a commision-only basis selling advertising space before being offered a slot by Ernest Benn on the Hardware Trade Journal.

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48 Helen Jane Waddell (1889–1965): medieval scholar, translator, and literary critic — MA dissertation on Milton examined by Prof. Saintsbury, Edinburgh University.

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51 Ivor (Percy) Nicholson (d. 1937): Chm. Ivor Nicholson & Watson publishers 1931–7.

52 Robert Norman Watson: Brooks' ‘oldest friend’ known from school days & ‘Uncle’ to children; resident of Southport, and shopkeeper with store in Lord Street, Southport.

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