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:
Awaiting approval
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 a 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 wage &
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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