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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2009
Monday 28 October 1940 The news today is that the Italians issued an ultimatum to the Greeks last night or in the early hours of this morning demanding the surrender of certain unspecified parts and that the Greeks refused to discuss the proposal. There is now war between Italy and Greece. I am agreeably surprised that the Greeks have had the guts to stand up to Musso: I shall be still more agreeably surprised if they can stop his armies from overrunning Greece.
1 Formerly the ‘Irish Free State’, the name ‘Eire’ was adopted in the constitution introduced by De Vaiera in 1937. Eire remained a member of the Commonwealth until 1949, but was the only Dominion to adopt a position of neutrality during the war; this made protecting the Atlantic convoys much more difficult.
2 Tufton Percy Hamilton Beamish (1874–1951), naval career 1888–1922; Con. M.P. Lewes 1924–31, 1936–45.
3 Eamonn de Valera (1882–1975), Sinn Fein M.P. Clare E. 1917–21; member of Dail for Co. Clare 1921–59, Pres, of Dail 1919–22; Pres., Sinn Fein 1917–26; Pres., Fianna Fail 1926–59; Min. for External Affairs 1932–48; Taoiseach 1937–48, 1951–54, 1957–59; Pres, of the Republic 1959–73.
4 The Commons sat at Church House on 7, 19 & 21 Nov., 10–12 & 17–19 Dec. 1940; one reason for the move was that Church House was a modern building with a stronger structure than the Palace of Westminster. It was unpopular with M.P.s but was used again during heavy bombing in late April 1941 and, after the destruction of the Comons chamber, from 13 May to 19 June 1941; it was also used from 20 June to 3 Aug. 1944 during the flying bomb attacks.
5 Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Skriabin (1890–1986), Bolshevik revolutionary, adopted the alias of Molotov (‘the hammer); Member of Politburo 1921–57; P.M. 1930–41; For. Minister 1939–49,1953–56; Dep. P.M. 1941–57; Min. of State Control 1956–57; Amb. to Mongolia 1957–60; negotiated Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 1939.
6 (Alfred) Dudley Pickman Rogers Pound (1877–1943), naval career; Assistant Chief of Naval Staff 1927–29; 2nd Sea Lord 1932–35; Chief of Staff, Med. 1935–36, C. in C. 1936–39; 1st Sea Lord 1939–43; kt. 1933.
7 Ernest Bevin (1881–1951), Gen. Sec., Transport & General Workers' Union 1922–40; Chairman, T.U.C. Gen. Council 1937; Lab. M.P. Wandsworth Central 1940–50, Woolwich E. 1950–51; Min. of Labour & Nat. Service 1940–45; Member of War Cabinet 1940–45; For. Sec. 1945–51; Lord Privy Seal 1951.
8 Abraham Montagu Lyons (1894–1961), Con. M.P. Leicester E. 1931–45; Recorder of Great Grimsby 1936–61.
9 William George Howard Gritten (1870–1943), Con. M.P. The Hartlepools 1918–23, 1929–43.
10 Aaron Charlton Curry (1887–1957), Lib. M.P. Bishop Auckland 1931–35 (Lib. Nat. to 1933); member of Newcastle City Council 1941–57, Alderman 1951–57, Lord Mayor 1949–50, 1956–57.
11 Arthur Eustace Morgan (1886–1972), Principal, Univ. College Hull 1926–35; Vice-Chancellor, McGill Univ., Montreal 1935–37; Chief Special Officer for Nat. Service, Min. of Labour 1939; District Commissioner for Special Areas, Durham & Tyneside 1939; Regional Information Officer, Min. of Information, Newcastle 1939–41; Ass. Sec., Min. of Labour & Nat. Service 1941–45; Educational Controller, British Council 1945–50; Warden, Toynbee Hall 1954–63.
12 John McGovern (1887–1968), Lab. M.P. Glasgow Shettleston 1930–59 (I.L.P. 1931–47, whip withdrawn 1954–55).
13 From bomb damage.
14 translation: under the leadership (or inspiration) of; as used in Horace, Epistles, 1.3.13.
15 As well as the Greek counter-offensive into Albania, there had been air attacks on the Italian fleet and on Naples, and Wavell's continuing advance in Tripolitania.
16 translation: those in command. This phrase is based upon classical works which Headlam read in his schooldays, and derives from Cassius Dio, Historiae Romanae 1 , 1.1.2.1 and 80.5.3.4.
17 William Temple, member of Newcastle City Council, Arthur's Hill Ward 1932–45, Alderman 1945–60; Con. cand. Newcastle E. 1924, but stood in breach of a local pact with the Liberals; formerly Chairman, Newcastle W. C.A.; Chairman, North Newcastle C.A., 1944–51, when the Association of which he was Chairman was disaffiliated from the National Union.
18 Samuel Storey (1896–1978), Con. M.P. Sunderland 1931–45, Stretford 1950–66; P.P.S. to F. Horsbrugh 1939–42; Chairman, Con. Social Services Ctte. 1942–45; Chairman of Standing Cttes. 1957–64; Dep. Chairman of Ways & Means 1964–65; Dep. Speaker 1965–66; cr. Bart. 1960, Baron Buckton 1966.
19 Margaret Grace Bondfleld (1873–1953), Lab. M.P. Northampton 1923–24, Wallsend 1926–31; P.S. Labour 1924; Min. of Labour 1929–31; Chief Woman Officer of General & Municipal Workers' Union 1916–21; Pres. T.U.C. 1923; Chairman, Women's Group on Public Welfare 1939–49; the first woman junior minister & cabinet minister.
20 Vick's resignation of the chairmanship of the new North Newcastle constituency association was accepted at the executive meeting held the previous day; after it was decided by 6 votes to 5 that he was therefore no longer a member of the executive, he resigned from the association, taking several members of the committee with him.
21 Robert John Graham Boothby (1900–1986), Con. M.P. Aberdeenshire E. 1924–58; P.P.S. to W. Churchill 1926–29; P.S. Food 1940–41; kt. 1953, cr. Baron Boothby 1958.
22 Edward Cecil George Cadogan (1880–1962), Con. M.P. Reading 1922–23, Finchley 1924–35, Bolton 1940–45; Sec. to the Speaker 1911–21; Member of Indian Statutory (Simon) Commission 1928–30; kt. 1939.
23 Boothby was chairman of a committee representing British citizens and residents who had claims against the Czechoslovak assets in Britain frozen after the German occupation in March 1939. Due to a previous arrangement with a personal friend (Richard Weininger, a Czech citizen), Boothby had a financial interest in promoting certain claims which he failed to disclose when speaking on the matter in the House. When Weininger was interned in 1940, the arrangement was discovered from his papers and, as it affected a serving Minister, the Treasury Solicitor informed the Prime Minister. On 17 Oct. 1940 Churchill moved that a Select Ctte. be appointed to investigate Boothby's conduct, and he was suspended from ministerial duties in the interim. After the critical report he had no alternative but to resign from office, but he remained an M.P.; from 1941 to 1942 he served in the R.A.F.
24 Charles Waterhouse (1893–1975), Con. M.P. Leicester S. 1924–45, S.E. 1950–57; P.P.S. to P. Cunliffe-Lister 1928–29, to H. Betterton 1931–34; Ass. Whip 1935–37, Whip 1937–40; Ass. Postmaster-Gen. 1939–41; P.S. Trade 1941–45; leader of the Suez Group of Con. M.P.s in the 1950s.
25 Alfred Arthur Hinchcliffe Denville (1876–1955), Con. M.P. Newcastle Central 1931–45; a theatrical manager & producer.
26 Donald Bradley Somervell (1889–1960), Con. M.P. Crewe 1931–45; Solicitor-Gen. 1933–36; Attorney-Gen. 1936–45; Home Sec. 1945; Lord Justice of Appeal 1946–54; Lord of Appeal in Ordinary 1954–60; kt. 1933, cr. Baron Somervell 1954; Headlam mis-spelt his surname as Somerville.
27 Alan Frederick Lascelles (1887–1981), known as ‘Tommie’; Ass. Priv. Sec. to Prince of Wales 1920–29; Sec. to Gov.-Gen. of Canada 1931–35; Ass. Priv. Sec. to the King 1935–43, Priv. Sec. 1943–52; Priv. Sec. to the Queen 1952–53; Chairman, Pilgrim Trust 1954–60; kt. 1939; in 1919–20 he had been aide-de-camp to Lord Lloyd, then Gov. of Bombay.
28 (David) Euan Wallace (1892–1941), Con. M.P. Rugby 1922–23, Hornsey 1924–41; P.P.S. to L. Amery 1922–23, 1924–28; Ass. Whip 1928–29, Whip 1929–31; Civil Ld., Admiralty 1931–35; U.S. Home Office 1935; Sec. Overseas Trade 1935–37; F.S.T. 1938–39; Min. of Transport 1939–40; Comm. for Civil Defence, London 1940–41.
29 Colin Forbes Adam (1889–1982), Indian civil service career 1912–27; District Comm. for Special Area of Durham & Tyneside 1934–39; Chairman, Yorkshire Con. Newspaper Co. 1960–65.
30 Auxiliary Territorial Service: the uniformed organisation in which women served in the army, taking non-combat roles (mainly as drivers and clerical staff) in order to release more men for front line duties.
31 The friction within the A.T.S. related particularly to its Chief Commandant, Dame Regina Evans (q.v.); Headlam's questions raised the general dissatisfaction within the A.T.S., the issue of an age limit for senior posts, and the preference within the ranks for a male commanding officer with previous military experience.
32 Thomas Lionel Dugdale (1897–1977), Con. M.P. Richmond 1929–59; P.P.S. to P. Cunliffe-Lister 1931–35, to S. Baldwin 1935–37; Whip 1937–40; Dep. Chief Whip 1941–42; Con. Party Vice-Chairman 1941–42, Chairman 1942–44; Min. of Agric. 1951–54; Chairman, Yorkshire Area 1948–52; cr. Bart. 1945, Baron Crathorne 1959.
33 Appointed Conservative Chief Whip and Parl. Sec. to Treasury 14 Jan. 1941.
34 The Conservative Private Members' (1922) Ctte., usually referred to as the ‘1922 Ctte.’ or ‘the '22’. The name originates from its foundation by a group of M.P.s elected for the first time in 1922, but from 1926 onwards the membership consisted of all Con. backbench M.P.s and it acquired a semi-official status. The weekly session was attended by a whip who briefed M.P.s on the forthcoming business of the House and reported back the feeling of the meeting to the Party leaders; the circumstances of the wartime Coalition led to the 1922 Ctte. playing a more significant role in expressing Con. opinion during periods of political tension.
35 A wartime propaganda slogan which passed into common usage, originally used to promote greater use of land for agricultural production.
36 Malcolm MacDonald had been appointed High Commissioner in Canada.
37 Sir Donald Somervell (q.v.).
38 Kenneth William Murray Pickthorn (1892–1975), Con. M.P. Cambridge Univ. 1935–50, Carlton 1950–66; P.S. Educ. 1951–54; Fellow of Corpus Christi, Cambridge 1914–75; cr. Bart. 1959.
39 Dame Regina Evans (q.v.) was Chief Commandant, Auxiliary Territorial Service 1939–43.
40 John Boynton Priestley (1894–1984), author and playwright. His radio broad casts were enormously popular during the early wartime years; however the left-wing tone and criticism of the conditions of the 1930s in his first series of June–Oct. 1940 aroused Conservative disquiet, and Priestley was more outspokenly critical of the ruling classes in the second series which began in Jan. 1941.
41 Emanuel Shinwell (1884–1986), Lab. M.P. Linlithgow 1922–24, 1928–31, Seaham 1935–50, Easington 1950–70; Sec. for Mines 1924, 1930–31; F.S. War Office 1929–30; Min. of Fuel & Power 1945–47; Sec. for War 1947–50; Min. of Defence 1950–51; Chairman, P.L.P. 1964–67; cr. Baron Shinwell 1970.
42 David Martin Goodfellow, extra-mural lecturer, Durham University; member of Newcastle City Council, All Saints' Ward 1941–45; author of Tyneside: The Social Facts (Co-Operative Printing Soc., Newcastle, 1940)Google Scholar, A Modern Economic History of South Africa (Routledge, London, 1931)Google Scholar, and Principles of Economic Sociology (Routledge, London, 1939)Google Scholar. Goodfellow had a London University Ph.D., where he had been a pupil of R.H. Tawney.
43 Lt.-Colonel M. D. Methven, General Manager of the Gateshead Trading Estate.
44 David Adams (1871–1943), Lab. M.P. Newcastle W. 1922–23, Consett 1935–43; member of Newcastle City Council from 1902, Sheriff 1922–23, Lord Mayor 1930–31.
45 Daniel Thomson Jack (1901–1984), Prof, of Economics, King's College, New castle (Univ. of Durham) 1935–61, Sub-Rector 1950–55; Chairman, Air Transport Licensing Bd. 1961–70; a long-serving member of the Industrial Disputes Tribunal; kt. 1966.
46 Megan Arfon Lloyd George (1902–1966), Lib. M.P. Anglesey 1929–51, Lab. M.P. Carmarthen 1957–66; Dep. Leader Lib. Party 1949–51; styled Lady Megan after cr. of father as Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor 1945.
47 Edith Mary Winifred Cadogan (1895–1969), daughter of Viscount Chelsea; married 1916 Arthur Robert Mills, sue. 3rd Baron Hillingdon 1919; Chairman, N.U. Central Women's Advisory Ctte. 1935–38; cr. Dame 1939.
48 translation: hanging on his lips.
49 For the rejection of the revised Prayer Book in 1927, see vol. 1, pp. 134–7, 146–9.
50 Dennis Henry Herbert (1869–1947), Con. M.P. Watford 1918–43; Dep. Chairman of Ways & Means 1928–29, Chairman of Ways & Means and Dep. Speaker 1931–42; Pres., Law Society 1941–42; kt. 1929, cr. Baron Hemingford 1943.
51 Emsley Carr (1867–1941); editor, News of the World 1890–1941, Chairman 1934–41; Chairman, Press Gallery of House of Commons 1929–30; Pres., Institute of Journalists 1932–33; Sheriff of Glamorgan 1938; kt. 1918.
52 George Henry Hugh Cholmondeley (1858–1923), Lord Great Chamberlain of England 1884–1923; sue. 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley 1884.
53 George Allardice Riddell (1865–1934), Chairman, News of the World 1903–1934Google Scholar; liaison officer between the British delegation and the press at the Paris peace conferences, 1919–20; kt. 1909, cr. Bart. 1918, Baron Riddell 1920.
54 John Jacob Astor (1886–1971), Con. M.P. Dover 1922–45; prop, of The Times 1922–1966Google Scholar; Chairman, Phoenix Assurance Co. 1952–58; Chairman, 4th–7th Imperial Press Conferences; cr. Baron Astor of Hever 1956.
55 Geoffrey Hithersay Shakespeare (1893–1980), Lib. M.P. Wellingborough 1922–23, Norwich 1929–45 (Lib. Nat. from 1931); private Sec. to Lloyd George 1921–23; Lib. Nat. Chief Whip 1931–32; P.S. Health 1932–36; P.S. Educ. 1936–37; F.S. Admiralty 1937–40; Sec. Overseas Trade 1940; U.S. Dominions 1940–42; director of Abbey National building society 1943–77, Dep. Chairman 1965–69; cr. Bart. 1942.
56 William Waite Hadley (1866–1960), journalist; editor of Merthyr Tydfil Times 1892–1893Google Scholar, Rochdale Observer 1893–1908Google Scholar, Northampton Daily Echo & Mercury 1908–1923Google Scholar; parl, correspondent & leader writer, Daily Chronicle 1924–1930Google Scholar; editor, Sunday Times 1932–1950.Google Scholar
57 translation: rumour.
58 Gilbert Francis Montriou Campion (1882–1958), clerk in House of Commons from 1906; Clerk Assistant 1930–37; Clerk of the House of Commons 1937–48; kt. 1938, cr. Baron Campion 1950.
59 translation: not in possession of his wits, i.e. insane.
60 The chamber of the House of Commons was destroyed by an incendiary bomb on the night of 10–11 May 1941. After sitting at the ‘Annexe’, Church House, from 13 May to 19 June, the Commons moved to the chamber of the House of Lords. Apart from a short period at Church House during the peak of the flying bomb attacks (20 June to 3 Aug. 1944), the Commons continued to sit in the House of Lords until their own rebuilt chamber was opened in Oct. 1950.
61 The Baldwin government's Trade Disputes Act of 1927, passed after the 1926 General Strike, was greatly disliked by the Labour Party and the trade unions.
62 Arthur William Lambert (1876–1948), businessman; member of Newcastle City Council 1910–30, Alderman 1930–44, Sheriff 1924–25, Lord Mayor 1926–27, 1928–29; Chairman, N.E. Coast Exhibition 1929; Comm. for Civil Defence, N.E. England 1939–45; kt. 1930.
63 Eduard Benes (1884–1948), Czech For. Minister 1918–35; P.M. 1921–22; Pres. 1935–38, 1946–48, & of govt. in exile 1941–45.