Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/77/1 - April - May 1917 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066843
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

6 2 except for Chu le tho very faithful toh broth to conservattion Wh 04 Australian t6 ant de -ocre lic Though tan bol note et it i Ext to wh ISube drwent has 4 occuned t t Extraordin reotution 2 cn the odeas Chanun adopted by Cloyd George The last for week can 4 a protector oa 9 to il
10 advo the ole a satien payin artificial buces er t a Senior year to 4a dopled & adoo or Colonia fe The 15 Cas he radical a 14 converty to S00 of You protection for Englsh indecly I al thought thas bou to cou becaus an give high Standards eva life to English worke without prote lin the t half pron He t
11 scheme of trperial goverment sowething which ma be Imperial Iideration te has gone back on his decision of a wonk ago it nothing more coulld be close for Irist Hone Rule durin the war. American pressure Imperial & that of the war cabinet, on wh Hughes has sherked sitting, has induce to take this attitade to Ireland It is quite impossible to say what L. George going to be or do a te ever. Looking fom the
present on can of Cl what time he will toke He adl like to got Liston the man who into b brought the woud wor into Federal Partian of this I British Esq - Ive no doubt a d Hugles wd be like to ter in en cinpopulare The it Billy Hughes is doe to be not playing the game for Aushaleas sake, but fo Anstialion own did his see through ald touh He letters to Murdock show tle dep lit E4 how Selpih as
a game he does play3 tike most of our politicians. The downfallo poor old Tir Nawton moore is due 14. tetts we, to moore having neglecty to distribul Hughes stertioncer man before the inthe day of ten Anctalian Reprendin vote as taken. And Smort tells me to as far as he knows Moord ws keen on getting I manifestoc or ohe papers, FWs. blaming London for Right not sending them or wrongly the
18 ws attributes t fir Newton Moore b Anderson FHuderson informed Hughes of it& of its effect Anderson on te vote. has always Cxtt bec a gong gen aratin to get Newton ome removed be a his twin authority F Andersay cloesn't tolerate a twen more or tess conferses He calls twoo it. Salootin Moore which to rather clever but he far to underhand the old politic at
despite his bl 10 an overground ma This is by the was it makes seal you on sotiticia H Ltoyd Goy witl sey 50 strayt after t war out. I had organese 4 24 you for war el move to organise you for plac & then nationabse nationatine the railway or abolish the drink take a cut straight at of the heart the She
8 16 either Act like a Socialest a tadical o dear out the English & class system & Iwors th hesitate - abobst monarchy because it perpetuate the snobber which land 24 paralyses I think De wit trave. the opportunity to do it. Thas present friends will 2ot help him to do it but I believe the masses would to we the
18 bofto as wa empere great real chance with the developoentin ac began young thankin told ane that sborne Britict r he had asked had been out who artiller off &hand days here since 6 served with eve sort of Gooks What they really amongs t themeebe Giano. He thought of the Custo told. For an offensens was for if there is anything difficy the A wants donng or taking, Aushabans are anequalld most boithnt trooks they are
we have pot for that work It it is only explained to them what is wanted they are very intelligent + very brave & they will do it. They are somety more like Drench than like British anth respect On Polew hand they are bad at consolidation. when they have got a position they will not work on it& improve it & were it. Sor to reason we do not consider them as ncefel as Brrtish troops who do to work for more thorouhty Atso (what surprived me, sd Osborne) we consider tt like 1 French, they are liable to panic. d doubt if the

18                                        9

except for Churchill who is

very faithful to his brother - it

is Conservative. White is a

good Australian, though

anti-democratic.

Though we have hardly

noticed it, in / extremity to

wh / submarine campaign

has driven England, there

has occurred the most

extraordinary revolution

in the ideas championed ∧proposed

adopted by Lloyd George.

The last few weeks have

seen him change to a

protector of agriculture and

 

 

18                                       10

the advocate of a scheme

of paying artificial prices

to farmers over a period

of years; he has adopted

& advocates as his own

Colonial Preference - He

is (as I always thought a

radical in England must be)

converted to some form of

protection for English industry.

I always thought this bound

to come because you cant

give high standards of way of

life to English workers

without protecting them.

He is half promulgating a

 

 

18                                    11

scheme of Imperial government 

- something which may be

Imperial Federation; & he

has gone back on his

decision of a month ago

tt nothing more could be done

for Irish Home Rule during

the war. American pressure,

& that of the ^Imperial War cabinet, on

wh Hughes has shirked a

sitting, has induced him

to take this attitude towards

Ireland.

It is quite impossible

to say what Ll. George is

going to be or do after /

war. Looking from the

 

 

18                                              12

present one cannot tell

what line he will take.

He wd like to go to history as

the man who brought into being

the wonder momentous

Federal Parliament of the

British Empire - I've no

doubt. And Hughes wd

like to be a minister in 

it. The unpopularity of

Billy Hughes is due to his

not playing the game for

Australia's sake, but for

his own - and Australians

see through & through it.

His letters to Murdoch show

quite definitely how selfish

 

 

18                                         13

a game he does play 

- like most of our

politicians. The downfall of

poor old Sir Newton Moore is

due, M. tells me, to Moore

having neglected to distribute

Hughes' electioneering manifesto

on the day of the before the

Australian Referendum

vote ws taken. And Smart

tells me tt as far as he

knows Moore ws keen

on getting t manifestoes

or other papers, & ws

blaming London for 

not sending them. Rightly

or wrongly - this delay

 

 

 

18                                             14

ws attributed to Sir

Newton Moore by Anderson,

& Anderson informed

Hughes of it & of its effect

on the vote. Anderson

has always (next to

becoming a Brig. Gen) wished

to get Newton Moore

removed - he is his

twin authority & Anderson

doesn't tolerate a twin -

he more or less confesses

it. He calls Moore

Salootin' Moore - which

is rather clever - but he's

far too underhand for

the old politician who

 

 

18                                       15

is, despite his bluff,

an overground man -

[This is by the way -

it makes you curse all

politicians].

If Lloyd George will

only seize his chance

after / war & say straight

out : I had to organise

you for war - how much

more am I going to 

organise you for peace -

& then nationalise

the railways, nationalise

or abolish the drink,

take a cut straight into

the heart of the slums,

 

 

 

18                                16

act like either a

radical or a socialist

& clean out the English

class system - & - I wdnt

hesitate - abolish the

monarchy as the x

because it perpetuates

the snobbery which

paralyses England -

he will have, I think

the opportunity to do it.

His present friends will

not help him to do it;

but I believe the masses

would -

Then we may come

 

 

18                                             17

out of this war as

a great empire in

with the real chance of

development in us -

young, beginning, active,

thinking, . . . . . . . . 

Osborne told me that

he had asked a British Heavy

Artillery offr, who had been out

here since / early days & had

served with every sort of troops,

what they really amongst themselves

thought of the Australians. He

was told: For an offensive -

for do if there is anything difficult

tt wants doing or taking, the

Australians are unequalled -

they are / most brilliant troops

 

 

18                                   18

we have got for that work -

If it is only explained to them

what is wanted they are

very intelligent & very brave &

they will do it - They are something

more like / French than like

/ British in tt respect . . .

"On / other hand they

are bad at consolidation.

When they have got a position

they will not work on it &

improve it & wire it - For

tt reason we do not consider

them as useful as British

troops who do tt work far 

more thoroughly.

"Also (what surprised

me, sd Osborne) we consider

tt, like / French, they are

liable to panic."

I doubt if the last

 

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