Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/95/1 - December 1917 - January 1918 - Part 6

73  
of it. I did so.
[On arriving in London
I saw Tom straight away, &
showed him the India League
own pamphlet.
"Why, it's the sort of
thing one wd not mind
ge subscribing a guinea
to oneself." he said.  "They
seemed to think there ws
something very seditious in
it . . . "
I sd that the idea of 
my old brother who with 
all his impractical ideas
was a bit of a saint
in his own way . . .
"Yes - he is, he is
a Saint," said Tom.  "That's
what I think he is" - And

9    47
a compromise.  I like to hear
those chaps talk o / peace terms
in tt way;  but / tone o / Daily
Mail sets ones hai bristles all
on edge:  "The Empire will be blown
sky high before we give back / German
Colonies!" they says / Mail.
(that is one o / German terms).
Dec. 30.  I read two of Lloyd
Georges speeches this morning - &
I think - much though one longs for
peace - tt he is right.  He says, in
short:  We came into this war in
righteous anger to say:  "Treaties shall
not be broken without punishment.  Neutral
countries shall not be invaded, wanton
laid desolate, subjected to wanton
war, without punishment the
nation wh commits tt crime
being taught tt such crimes

TG/JS.
A.I.F. 1. 91245  50,000.  E. & T Ltd
IN REPLY PLEASE QUOTE
ADVANCE AUSTRALIA
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"ADMINAUST LONDON"
CABLE ADDRESS
"STRALIS, LONDON"
TELEPHONE
VICTORIA 8860 (8 LINES)
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
Administrative Headquarters, A.I.F.,
130, HORSEFERRY ROAD
LONDON. S. W.
1st January, 1918
Private
Dear Bean,
An Officer of the Intelligence Branch of the War
Office called here yesterday and stated that they had recently
raided some premises occupied by the "Young India League", and
amongst the papers there they found documents showing that
your brother Jack was a member of the "Home Rule for India
League"  (British Auxiliary), and that he had subscribed £1.
towards the funds of the League.    There was also another 
letter from him, dated 9th October, 1917, suggesting the
publication of a "Guide for Speakers" on the Indian question,
and offering to prepare same.
I promised the War Office people that we would look
into the matter, and that I thought we could amicably settle
everyting by somehow or other getting your brother back to
Australia, away from the influences that are bearing upon
him here. 
Before doing anything I am just writing this to show 
you how the matter stands, and to ask your advice.  There
would be no trouble whatever in getting your brother returned
to Australia as medically unfit for service, but I think it
would be necessary for him to first of all just "go sick".
What do you think, or what do you advise?
Yours sincerely,
[signature] TGriffiths
C.E.W. Bean Esq.,
Headquarters,
Australian Corps,
B.E.F.
Wrote to Griffiths - the movement in wh
J. was interest was a high ideal-ed unselfish
high minded attempt to do justice to India - & there
is no more loyal high minded soul in the Empire
than old J.  He wdnt dream of doing anything disloyal
to his side - These damned police wd make a conspiracy
out of anything.  I saw Griffiths later & showed him some of
the literature of the League.  He said, Why I wd support
[*that - & the matter was
dropped - Griffiths wdnt
raise a finger to harm J.
A member of the H. of commons is an active
worker in the League - but no police touch him!*]

9    72
his country, subjected to
/ least suspicion of
/ possibility of disloyal action.
I sd I wd fight anybody,
in / English newspapers
or anywhere, first, that if
they White thought Jocks
adherence to this Society in
any degree embarrassed
them, they had only got to
take / simple course of telling
him so, & he wd resign
from it at once during /
war.  The last thing he
wanted to do ws to embarrass
them.
White sd this ws /
best course & I cd write
& tell Griffiths tt he approved.

9    48
will not be permitted by /
world.  that ws why we came
into / war.  Have we given up tt
aim?  Germany  The very same
people who made this war - the
military clique in Germany, Hindenburg
the Kaiser & Co., are at this present
moment at / top of their success,
drunk w boastfulness, brimming
w satisfaction.  Is tt / moment to go
& make this compromise w them _^wh they want and
trust to / hope chance tt / people may punish
them afterwds?
"If there were no chance of
our ever being able to make
headway," Ll George says, "I wd
say - we must eat our pride &
make peace now - we cdnt risk
/ lives & effort material for nothing;  but we
have some knowledge of how Germany

9    71
quietly - it cd easily be
done.  They cd arrange for
him to go sick (he wd have
to 'consent to go sick') &
so he wd get away from /
evil influences to wh he
was being apparently subjected.
Tom was doing a real kind
thing in writing to me (though
Howse, no doubt, disagreeing
w Jack's, suggested attitude
on the subject of Venereal
disease, suggested the 'going
sick' - as White at once saw).
Anyway - I went straight
to White & told him I'd fight
anybody or anything rather
than have old Jock, who has
simply given his life to / service of

9    49
stands;  & we know what America
can do if we ^help to assured her o / sea
transport.  It wd be sheer weakness
to stop at this moment - say say we
had altered our mind & it ws not
worth / effort."
I think he is right.  W Germany
in her present mind we cannot
make peace without giving up /
object we are fighting for - to break
that _^very frame of mind & restore quality
treaties ensure tt treaties shall
be observed - _^as / first foundatn for / peace o / world.
Dec. 30.  All day answering
letters.  A short time on skates on
/ pond.  Started w Harris on /
first number of "Aussie", a new
winter magazine, more his 
work than mine. 

9    70
it was (or perhaps Lord
Islington - anyway one
o / Lieutenant Governors
of an Indian Province or
Presidency) has sd
very nearly as much to
a meeting at the Colonial
Institute.  Yet the War
Office came, behind Jack's
back, to A.I.F. Headqrs,
with their miserable
'discoveries';  & so
impressed Griffiths with the
idea tt Jack had been
engaging in seditious

intrigue tt old Tom
wrote to me in trouble asking
my advice before taking action.
the best thing, he thought, was
to send Jack back to Australia

9    50
the men in the A.I.F _^battalions in France are
probably not so stubborn as their officers
on the necessity of beating / Germans before
we make peace.  some of them, in the later
stages o / Ypres battle - wd say - if you spoke to them
quietly:  "I'm quite ready to let Fritz keep
what he has got, & shake hands w him".
The German has shown himself a very
fine fighter - the men have the respect for
him wh you have for an opponent
pretty well as stubborn as yourself, &
they felt the Russian breakdown, & the 
Italian defeat.  I know they spoke to
Wilkins like this, some of them.
But our officers & n.c.os are mostly
from the ranks, in the A.I.F. and 
their opinion is tt o / men who are
going to die or be wounded - for a certainty,
almost every of single man of them - if / war
goes on.  And, as far as I can
make out, they are for going on.
the soldiers vote on conscriptn is

9    69
Institutions;  tt she will do
all she can to help England
win / war, while it lasts,
& will avoid doing anything
to embarrass her;  but
tt after / war, in part
consideration o / way she
has supported / Empire, she
will ask for a large
measure of home rule;
& tt / League has for
its object the enlightenment
of England as to this
desire of Indians & / reason
for it.  No
Now S.E. Montague, one 
of the British ministers,
has made a speech at least
as strong as this;  & Lord Sydenham

9    51
given as 32,000 apt;  23,000 for.
The Officers & n.c.os are almost
entirely for it - tt is to say, / best men
in / force.  The vote agst it ws due to ever
so many different ideas in different men -
chiefly due to suspicion agst wh that they were told
only one side:-
1. They thought - indeed had had it
proved, - tt full reinforcements means time
in the line;  shortage of men has meant rest.
2. They have / idea tt / Australian
divisions have been rather exploited, & had
more than their share of heavy fighting.
3. Also the idea that if Conscription comes
in the death penalty will come w it, &
discipline harden.
4. They are a bit tired of war;  & disillusioned
at finding tt they can make do so little personally
to bring success - they are disillusioned. 
5. They know what war is & they
are disinclined to force anyone into it if he
doesnt want to come.
6. They rather object, some of the, to having
/ conscript amongst them & to lose / kudos of
having come away voluntarily.
Dec. 31st.  I went down to Sauves to 56^th Bn to
get their account of Ypres & returned
in the evening.  Very cold.  Roads like ice.

9    68
was a member of the Home
Rule for India League, & had
paid £1 to its funds;  & tt
a letter had been found
from him offering to help in
preparing a guide for
Speakers on / subject.
Now Jack is a theosophist, &,
as such, an admirer of the
native Indian philosophers
& of their religions beliefs.  He
is keenly in favour of India
getting, after / war, a
measure of Home Rule
like that of the other White Dominions.
The Home Rule for India
League, in its very first pamphlet
giving its objects (wh he sent to
me long ago) says it down
tt India admires British

9    52
as I write _^am going to bed the guns have suddenly
broken out - 2 or 3 a second;  & I realise
that it is 1918.  About an hour
ago there was a similar noise -
it was the German hour of entry to 1918.
I don't know whose guns they were -
ours probably.
Well - its going to be a pretty
hard year before its out, I guess.  But
there doesnt seem an end to it
before July 1919, now.  By then
it will be our terms - not his. 
Splendid chaps those infantry;
always hospitable & glad to see you.
My driver notices the same.  They live
so close to death.  Good fellows, that they
have a sort of pathetic generosity.
One knows very well that, of an
infantry mess with whom you dine
today, probably not more than 2 or 3
outside of the Colonel & Headquarters will

9    67
three times:  "Happy New
Year, Australia".
I had a great shock
yesterday - one which made me
so angry that my heart would
not stop beating for a while.  Even
in bed at night it was beating
furiously -
Dear old Tom Griffiths
wrote me a letter
marked "Private" to 
say that they had had
a visit from an
Official of the
Intelligence Corps at the
War Office, who told them
that the previses of the
Young India Society, & Home
rule for India League had
been raided, & they had found
there papers which showed that
my brother, Major Jack Bean,

9     53
get through the year unwounded, if
without death or a wound.  And
many will have come ^thro' / mess & some besides them
there today.  In some battalions the Colonel
& Officers all feed together;  in others
they mess by Companies - the Colonel
& headquarters in their mess;  & each with the 
interpreter, adjutant, doctor, padre & Intelligence Offr;  & each
Company in its little Officers mess of four.
_______________________________________________
[* 24 Bn
Mouquet Fm*]
24 Bn Mouquet Farm - 
[At Gellibrands HQrs - a m-gunner
of the 24th Bn, now his batman
told me tt after / attack by
21st Bn at Mouquet the Germs.
C-attck in front of 24 Bn.
They came out from / trench to
right o / Farm in what seemd
to be one thick wave - & his
L.G got onto them.  They went
down like corn.  They got abt
30 yds & then went down
into shell holes.  (I think he
sd this ws abt 10am.) ]

[*[X from now Jan 1 to Jan 11^th I
have not had time to write
this diary up.  But I am
doing so on Jan 11, as far as 
my memory carries me] *]

9    55
Holmes.
Turning up the Sniper at Pozieres
went up over ground.
Nearly sniped himself
X Jan 1st. 1918.  I sent a message
to Australia giving them in the
straightest possible form the
outlook as I imagined it to be;
How everyone knew that (without
much being said) a great decision
had been come to in the past
fortnight - That England & France
might have said - "The struggle is
too hard for us - The Germans are
showing themselves too strong now;
we cannot get the things for which
we entered the war;  & so we must
compromise w / German _^military leaders just
at this moment when they are
'drunk with boastfulness', as Lloyd