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17 The Cold War: January to July 1948

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2009

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Saturday 3 January 1948 The news today is that (1) Winston is better (he has been laid up with a cold at Marrakesh for some days and as Lord Moran and Mrs. Winston are going there I should imagine that he must have been worse than was made out) and (2) there is one less in the Cabinet – Lord Listowel whose job as Secretary of State for Burma has come to an end is now made Minister of State for the Colonies without a seat in the Cabinet. I am told that he is a half-wit – but I don't even know him by sight and expect that a great many other people are in a similar position – Socialist peers are fairly inconspicuous persons. Several hotels have been searched for black market food – one dislikes black marketing and no doubt it is all wrong (as human nature generally is) but one dislikes still more the continual spying and police methods which now go on – shall we ever get back to ‘normality’ I wonder?

Wednesday 7 January I had a word with Tony Lambton … He certainly is doing his share of work nowadays and ought to make a fine leader for the Conservatives of Durham county in a few years' time. He is coming on by leaps and bounds – but I fear that he won't beat the dirty Doctor and will still be minus a seat in the next Parliament – sooner or later I suppose he will have to emulate Anthony Eden's example and find one outside his own county.

Type
Research Article
Information
Royal Historical Society Camden Fifth Series , Volume 14 , July 1999 , pp. 538 - 563
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1999

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References

1 Charles McMoran Wilson (1882–1977), medical career; Dean, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School 1920–45; Pres., Royal College of Physicians 1941–50; kt. 1938, cr. Baron Moran 1943; Churchill's personal doctor from 1939.

2 Clementine Ogilvy Hozier (1885–1977), married 1908 Winston Churchill; Chairman, Red Cross Aid to Russia Fund 1939–46; cr. Baron Spencer-Churchill 1965.

3 This is the first use of this term in the diary.

4 translation: summary.

5 translation: excessive, bizarre.

6 The slogan used effectively by the Liberals in the general elections of Jan. and Dec. 1910.

7 William Young Darling (1885–1962), Con. M.P. Edinburgh S. 1945–57; Treasurer, Edinburgh City Council 1937–40, Ld. Provost 1941–44; Comm. for Civil Defence, S.E. Scotland 1939–41; Chairman, Scottish Council of Industry 1941–46; kt. 1943.

8 Of the chairmen of the Newcastle constituencies to discuss the scheme for a citywide federation; Temple, the only chairman now opposed to the proposal, had failed to attend the previous meeting (which Headlam had chaired): diary, 16 Jan. 1948.

9 William Grant Waugh (1887–1960), medical practitioner, qualified 1910, Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh 1924; practised in Sunderland from 1910; war service, Colonel, Royal Army Medical Corps; assistant surgeon Sunderland Royal Infirmiary 1924–46, consultant surgeon from 1946; President, Northern Counties Medical Society, 1939; specialised as an orthopaedic surgeon, pioneered treatment of arthritic joints with lactic acid; he had an extensive practice in the north-east and in Harley Street, and was consulted by Cuthbert and Beatrice for many years.

10 Donald Clifford Tyndall Bennett (1910–1986), career in Royal Australian Air Force and R.A.F.; Commander of Pathfinder Force, Bomber Command 1942–45; Lib. M.P. Middlesbrough W. May–July 1945, Lib. cand. Croydon N. 1948, Norwich N. 1950, Ind. cand. Nuneaton 1967; Managing-Dir., British South American Airways Corporation 1946–48; Chairman of Exec. Ctte., United Nations Assoc. of Great Britain 1946–49; Chairman, Nat. Council of Anti-Common Market Organisations 1973–76.

11 Nicolson (q.v.), a National Labour M.P. from 1935 until his defeat as a Nat. candidate in 1945, joined the Labour Party in 1947 and was chosen as Lab. candidate for the Croydon N. by-election.

12 Lyall Wilkes (1914–1991), Lab. M.P. Newcastle Central 1945–51; Ass. Recorder of Sheffield & Newcastle 1960–62; Dep. Chairman, Co. Durham Quarter Sessions 1961–64; Judge of the County Courts 1964–82.

13 The British Medical Association's ballot of its members on Bevan's National Health Service proposals, and in particular the question of state control.

14 Juan Domingo Perón (1895–1974), Argentine army career; one of the Group of United Officers who seized power in June 1943; Min. of Labour & Social Security 1943–46; Pres. 1946–55, 1973–74; in exile 1955–73.

15 translation: notice of dismissal.

16 Antony Henry Head (1906–1981), Con. M.P. Carshalton 1945–60; Sec. for War 1951–56; Defence Sec. 1956–57; High Comm. Nigeria 1960–63, Malaysia 1963–66; Chairman, Royal Nat. Institute for the Blind 1968–75; cr. Viscount Head 1960.

17 Henry Willink (q.v).

18 i.e., the Industrial Charter.

19 Samuel Sydney Silverman (1895–1968), Lab. M.P. Nelson & Colne 1935–1968 (whip withdrawn 1954–55, 1961–63); member of N.E.C. 1956–57.

20 Proposed by Gen. George C. Marshall, U.S. Sec. of State 1941–49, the European Recovery Programme provided American financial aid to stimulate economic revival and co-operation; Russia and its satellite states rejected participation in the scheme.

21 The Despatch Boxes sit on the table between the two front benches and have become the customary place for Ministers or Opposition front-bench spokesmen to stand when delivering a speech, as they provide a convenient resting place for notes.

22 The Vice-Chairman of the Party responsible for candidates.

23 The eldest son and heir of the Marquess of Londonderry was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Castlereagh.

24 Romaine Combe (1906–1951), married 1931 Viscount Castlereagh, suc. 8th Marquess of Londonderry 1949.

25 The ‘Nenni telegram’; see entry for 23 Apr., below.

26 Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby (1907–1983), Con. M.P. Rutland & Stamford 1933–50; Ld. Great Chamberlain 1950–52; Ld. Lt., Lincolnshire 1950–75; styled Lord Willoughby de Eresby 1907–51, summoned to the Lords as Baron Willoughby de Eresby Jan. 1951, suc. 3rd Earl of Ancaster Sep. 1951.

27 Twenty-two left-wing Lab. M.P.s had signed a telegram of support sent to Pietro Nenni, the leader of the pro-Communist group of Socialists contesting the Italian election. The N.E.C, demanded an apology and promise of future conformity, which most of the M.P.s involved gave; the N.E.C, meeting on 23 Apr. 1948 also expelled from the party the left-wing M.P. John Platts-Mills (q.v.).

28 translation: from the start.

29 John Faithful Fortescue Platts-Mills (1906-), Lab. M.P. Finsbury 1945–50 (Ind. Lab. 1948–50); expelled from Lab. Party Apr. 1948, member of Lab. Ind. Group 1949–50.

30 The reason for this visit was the marriage of the Dame's daughter, Jehanne, to Headlam's former secretary and agent, Harry Bell (Henry Parkin Bell, q.v.), who had lived with the Headlams at Holywell since 1925. He served in a staff post in the Home Guard at York 1942–45 and was then employed as secretary to Lord Ridley's Northern Industrial Group; he was currently jointly managing the pig-farming venture at Holywell with Beatrice.

31 The first use of this term in the diary.

32 Patrick George Thomas Buchan-Hepburn (1901–1974), Con. M.P. Liverpool E. Toxteth 1931–50, Beckenham 1950–57; P.P.S. to O. Stanley 1931–39; Ass. Whip 1939, Whip 1939–40, 1944–48, Chief Whip 1948–55; Min. of Works 1955–57; Gov.-Gen. of West Indies 1958–62; cr. Baron Hailes 1957.

33 Dugdale had been Dep. Chief Whip 1941–42 before moving aside to serve as Party Chairman 1942–44; it might be considered that he had a greater claim to the succession than Buchan-Hepburn, and should have been considered for the post.

34 Jan Christian Smuts (1870–1950), Gen. commanding Boer forces in Cape Colony 1901–02; Min. of Defence, Union of S. Africa 1910–19, P.M. 1919–24, 1939–48; Min. of Justice & Dep. P.M. 1933–39; S. African delegate to Imperial conference 1917, member of Imperial War Cabinet 1917–19; one of the few contemporaries of Churchill still to be on the world stage.

35 By the end of 1948 the problems of Newcastle North and Headlam's continuing uncertainty had led to Elliot's prospective candidacy fading away, and in 1950 he contested and regained his former seat of Glasgow Kelvingrove. Headlam's decision to stand again seems to have evolved gradually but definitely by mid-1949: see diary entries for 31 Mar. & 21 June 1949, below.