Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/117A/1 - October 1918 - Part 3

plan of what to do w
/ men once they get
them back - / provision
of employment,
/ making of openings.
But at present Millens
jealousy has gone so 
far as to prevent
Pearce & the A.I.F.
from drawing up a
proper plan of 
demobilisation because
they cannot send men
decide how to classify
men & send them

I had dinner in / train
with / others & then went
straight down to Dartford.
The factories were not beside / rly
were not so . . . 
. . . but I have no 
doubt they are . . . 
. . .  xtalk.
A friendly sergeant guided
me to the Hospital (with
a lift in a Red X amb Bus)
& I found old Jock with
all his things packed, due
to start in one hours time.
Zwitt He had to go down
to Bulford & get some
instruments which he cd not

Oct 14. Monday.
Hughes left Paris
tonight. I was up half
last night writing a 
cable which I hope
will force Millen to
let the A.I.F. be responsible
for the making of a 
plan for repatriation
so far as demobilisation
involves it - which means
up to / time when /
men arrive in
Australia. Of course
Millens civil dept
must decide / main

induce the wretched staff of 
that hospital to return to
him - & then was going 
to Weymouth into camp
with his 800 returnees.
They make them up
into battalions, officers
& all, & send them out
organised. Very often they
have only heard the day
before they go - the evening
before, or the morning of the 
same day - that they are
for Australia & the 
surprise is overwhelming.
Herbert, our cook, went
a week ago & we have
in his place a brother of
 

many pegs at once.
"Oh I'll see if anything
can be done - I'll
try & get you some . . ."
he said. Then they noticed
Wilson standing
shaking with laughter at
the far end o / room.
"Of course you can
get it, Hankey," he sd.
"Your batmen are
having tea out there
now, anyway. I'd
advise you to ask
them".

Scott, our camp orderly.
This brother is a delicate
chap & was long ago
marked for Australia
after a very bad wound
at Gallipoli & illness in
France. But when he was
at Weymouth preparatory
to starting, & the urgent
call need for men arose
this summer, he was 
boarded & marked fit
for service ^in the infantry. His brother
was very anxious
about him - he was in
his old Battalion the 57^th
(a it may must have been the
5^th he was in originally)

Henry Wilson, C.G.S.
Hughes coming in tired
from his journey said
to Hankey tt he wd
like to get some tea.
Hankey (also an Australian
- by birth) sd stupidly
that he did not think it
could be done - His 
manner ws rather frosty.
Hughes straightened up
at once. "Oh if you
cant get it I'll see
about getting it myself!"
he said. After all
Hughes is a member
of the War Cabinet &
Hankey climbed down

& I easily got him out
as our cook, via Herbert;
but his brother is afraid he
will not be strong eno' for
this either - he has a weak
back & Scott thinks the
winter will be too much
for him even under our
comparatively comfortable
conditions.
Jock & I went up
to London an hour after
I arrived. The old man
had bought two tin boxes
from the Salvation Army for
a most reasonable price
& was especially proud
of the deal - the men

their embassy at
Washington to mention / 
subject to the President.
When it came up, he said: 
^surprised, "Armistice! there's not
going to be any armistice!"
So he may be firmer
than many think.
Hansby When Hughes got to 
Versailles from Beauvais
he was standing in the 
Hotel or the hall of some
place where they
foregathered. Hankey
was there - (the former
Secretary of the Committee of
Imperial Defence) & Sir

at that hospital, as 
everywhere else, are
immensely attached to 
Jack. He started his
debating society for them,
as usual;  his it went
tremendously well. He
spent about £1 a week
himself providing the 
cakes & the tea - they
simply held the debate
in a ward after some
songs & they used to get
100 men to come. Jocks
idea is that this all gets
men to think out their
social relations & so
helps to prepare the

treatment wh / Germans
have given to France.
Jerome had bn up to /
front - but it seemed to me
tt / opinion wh he brought
back ws likely to be tt o /
officers, not o / men -
& possibly o / staff officers
at that.
Millet had a curiously
reassuring piece of news
of Wilson wh he told to 
Box & myself in our bedroom
this morning. He sd tt
the French Govt had recently
discussed the terms on
wh an armistice cd be
granted, & had instructed

world & society for the 
best - as his Theosophical
Friends believe, for the
return of Christ onto
the Earth. The Officers
& men were all fond
of J. His latest undertaking
was to take a party of
Nurses (& I am not sure
if an officer or two or a 
patient didnt go) to 
Ely Cathedral; then to 
Kings College Camb. to
the afternoon choral
service - it was without
organ, but he specially
arranged with their
great organist (is it

Everyone - Millet,
Jerome, (I think),
Wall & others who have 
seen anything o /
Americans agree about
that point - tt / men are
good but / administrative 
side o / staff very bad.
Their defects have shown
up in / fighting near
Verdun also, Millet
says.
Jerome told me tt /
French soldiers were
anxious not to give up
/ fight until they were able
in Germany to give /
Germans a taste of the

Dr Mann?) to play
afterwards.
So J's good work here
is closed - but it will
live for a long time in
the men & women whom
he has helped.
We Jock said that he
meant to stay the night at
Charing X Hotel. It was
where he always stayed
in town if he were late.

I intended to return
next day with Billy
Hughes, so it was
convenient for me too.
But when we got to Charing

forthcoming event, even
if not coming for special
decision before each
Govt, wd be laid before
it by its section of the
staff, in good time; so tt
it wd have an opportunity
of objecting if it
desired to do so.
The British pressmen
tell us that Bliss recom- ws of 
mended opinion that the American
troops should be
re-brigaded with the
French & English troops
as their administrative
staff was so defective -

X they had no rooms.
Full up. They advised
us to try the Golden X
hotel opposite. The Golden
X was full. They advised 
us to try another The 
Irish porter there said
he had been turning
people away all night.
H He rang up Jacks
Theosophical Hotel for
us - the Gwalia -
that was full: He
advised us to try Craven
St. There were a number
of quiet Hotels there.
The first we knocked up
was full - they recommended

think that an offensive
like Hamel needed the 
consent of the Versailles
Council - I shd say it 
certainly wd not.
The council seems
to work with a set of 
separate staffs each big
state having its own
general & staff there.
The Americans have
Bliss & his staff - the 
French Foch & his staff.
And Foch does his work
as C in C with his own
staff. The others prepare
matter for each other &
for their Governments. A

us to ask the policeman
at the end of the road - he
had brought several people
round & taken them away
again & might have
found something. The
Policeman was found by
us crossing the Strand.
He told us of two Hotels
he knew of - the Buckingham
& one run by the same
people - & here we
found, at last, one
room at / top o / house.
I dont know why town
is so full - Americans &
officers on leave people I suppose- 
and the hotels mostly taken

says, as far as he knows
there was no mention
nor, idea of any attack by
us up at Amiens later
 - nor of any other attack.
Box never heard a
whisper of any such
plan.
But there was a
great deal of interest
shown in the little attack
which was coming off
at Hamel. They all
knew of it, & they seemed
to regard it as a sort
of test - & they were 
exceedingly pleased at
the result. Box doesnt

for public offices.
Oct 10 Thursday:
This morning
I had a rush round
with Jock - One maid
& a porter were running
that hotel - poor little
woman she had to do all
the bedmaking, sweeping,
cook the breakfasts
& wait, take the 
visitors their hot water
& wake them up.
I fixed up with
Dodds that the making of
models might start at
once - attached to the
Engineer training establishment.
Also the system of A.I.F.