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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2009
By the early spring of 1918 Chamberlain's return to the government represented an increasingly attractive proposition for the Prime Minister. Chamberlain's stock had certainly risen substantially since his attacks upon the influence of the press lords in February and March. In some quarters he was already perceived ta be ‘the alternative Prime Minister, if by some mischance Lloyd George were to be killed by a golf-ball’. As the Irish problem forced itself back to the top of the political agenda there were also obvious dangers in leaving him on the backbenches as a focus for Unionist discontent – particularly as he was known to hold strong views on the need to extend conscription to Ireland. Thus, when the crisis over the proposal to link Home Rule and conscription broke in early April, Lloyd George finally resolved that he should be offered office. To this end, on 9 April Law was despatched to invite Chamberlain to join the War Cabinet. Despite his own ambivalence towards Lloyd George's character and a continued concern about the influence of the press lords, Chamberlain was also predisposed to return to office: a position reinforced by the military crisis created by Ludendorff's massive offensive on 21 March.
1 Esher, Lord to SirWilson, Henry, 12 03 1918Google Scholar, Fraser, P., Lord Esher: A Political Biography, (1973), 388Google Scholar. Five days after his first attack upon the press Lords Lloyd George first spoke of Chamberlain's inclusion in the War Cabinet, Hankey Diary, 24 February 1918, Roskill, S., Hankey: Man of Secrets, (1970) I, 501.Google Scholar
2 A. Chamberlain to Law, 5 April 1918, Petrie, , Life and Letters, II, 113Google Scholar. According to Amery, Lloyd George had previously offered Chamberlain the post of Chief Secretary for Ireland, The Leo Amery Diaries, 216Google Scholar. Entry for 19 April 1918.
3 Chamberlain, A. to George, Lloyd, 10 04 1918Google Scholar, AC18/2/6. For these events see Turner, J., British Politics and the Great, War, 286–291.Google Scholar
4 Daily Mail, 17 April; The Star, 18 04 1918Google Scholar. During the Boer War, the Liberal evening newspaper, The Star, had been at the centre of allegations against Joseph and Austen Chamberlain concerning improper political pressure to obtain contracts to supply cordite for Kynoch's, a company in which they had a family interest.
5 ‘How to Lose’ Daily Mail, 19 04 1918Google Scholar. For Northcliffe's opposition see Pound, R. and Harmsworth, G., Northcliffe, (1959), 626–7Google Scholar; Newton, Lord, Retrospection (1941), 253.Google Scholar
6 See Hankey Diary, 16 December 1918, Roskill, S., Hankey, II, 35.Google Scholar
7 Chamberlain, A. to George, Lloyd, 10 04 1918Google Scholar, AC18/2/6.
8 George, Lloyd to Chamberlain, A., 13 04 1918Google Scholar and reply 14 April 1918, Lloyd George MSS F/7/2/9.
9 See Fair, J.D., British Interparty Conferences, 226–227.Google Scholar
10 Middlemas, K. (ed), Whitehall Diary: Ireland, III, 7.Google Scholar
11 Jones Diary, 9 May 1918, Whitehall Diary, III, 9.Google Scholar
12 (George) Geoffrey Dawson (1874–1944) Private secretary to Milner in South Africa 1901–5. Editor Johannesburg Star 1905–1910Google Scholar; Editor of The Times, 1912–1919, 1923–1941Google Scholar. Known as Robinson until 1917.
13 Philip Henry Kerr (1882–1940) Co-founder and first editor, Round Table 1910–1916Google Scholar; private secretary to Lloyd George 1916–21; Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster August–November 1931; PUS for India 1931–September 32; Chairman Indian Franchise Committee 1932; Ambassador to Washington 1939–40. Succeeded cousin as 11th Marquess of Lothian, 1930. Created K.T., 1940.
14 Field-Marshal Sir John Denton Pinkstone French (1852–1925) Served Sudan 1884–5; South Africa 1899–1902. Chief of Imperial General Staff, 1911–14; C-in-C, BEF 1914–15; Home Forces 1915–18. Lord-Lieutenant Ireland 1918–21. Created Viscount French 1916 and Earl of Ypres 1922.
15 General Sir Frederick Maurice alleged Lloyd George had misled Parliament when claiming British forces in France were numerically stronger on 1 January 1918 than a year earlier. An Asquithian motion for an inquiry was debated in the Commons on 9 May 1918 – the only occasion in which they divided the House against the Government.
16 Sir Maurice Pascal Alers Hankey (1877–1963) Secretary Committee of Imperial Defence 1912–1938; War Cabinet 1916; Imperial War Cabinet 1917–18; Cabinet Secretary 1919–38. Minister without Portfolio 1939–40; Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster 1940–41; Paymaster-General 1941–42. Created K.C.B. 1916; G.C.B. 1919; Baron Hankey 1939.
17 Major-General Sir Frederick (Barton) Maurice (1871–1951) Soldier from 1892. Director of Military Operations, Imperial General Staff 1915–18. Principal, Working Men's College 1922–23; Queen Mary College, University of London 1933–44.
18 Henry Edward Duke (1855–1939). Conservative MP for Plymouth 1900–1906 and Exeter 1910–1918. Chief Secretary for Ireland July 1916 – April 1918. Lord of Appeal April 1918–November 1919 and President of Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division 1919–33. Knighted 1918; created Baron Merivale 1925.
19 John Dillon (1851–1927). Leader of Irish Nationalist Party in succession to Justin McCarthy 1896–1900. Nationalist MP for Tipperary 1880–83 and Mayo East November 1885–1918. Chairman of Irish Nationalist Party 1918.
20 Arthur Henderson (1863–1935). Labour MP for Barnard Castle 1903–1918, Widnes 1919–22, Newcastle East 1923, Burnley 1924–31; Clay Cross 1933–35. Labour Party Treasurer, 1904–12, Chairman 1908–10, 1914–17. President Board of Education May 1915–August 1916, Paymaster-General August–December 1916, Member of War Cabinet December 1916 August 1917, Home Secretary January–November 1924, Foreign Secretary 1929–31. Labour leader 1931–32. Chaired World Disarmament Conference 1932–35. Nobel Peace Prize 1934.
21 Cd. 9109, Joint Report on Indian Constitutional Reforms. The Montagu-Chelmsford Report's proposals for a ‘dyarchy’ in the provinces and an elected majority in the central legislature were embodied in the government of India Act of December 1919.
22 Edmund Henry Allenby (1861–1936) Soldier and statesman. Western Front 1915–1917. Commander Egyptian Expeditionary Force 1917–1919. High Commissioner for Egypt 1919–1925.
23 Marshal Ferdinand Foch (1851–1929) Commander 9th Army 1914 coordinating Allied left flank in France. Retired with Joffre 1916 but returned as Chief of Staff in 1917 after failure of Nivelle offensive and became Allied Generalissimo at head of unified command from March 1918.
24 George Nicoll Barnes (1859–1940) Labour MP for Glasgow (Blackfriars and later Gorbals) 1906–22. Minister of Pensions December 1916–August 1917; Minister without Portfolio 1917–January 1920. Resigned from Labour party on its withdrawal from Coalition to participate in Versailles negotiations.
25 A. Chamberlain to Law, 11 November 1918, AC35/1/6.
26 J.W. Kneeshaw: Neville Chamberlain's radical Labour opponent in Birmingham Ladywood during the 1918 election.
27 Sir Hallewell Rogers (1864–1931) Chairman of Birmingham Small Arms Co. Coalition Unionist MP for Moseley division, Birmingham December 1918 until resignation in February 1921.
28 Sir Henry Austin (1866–1941) Assisted in founding Wolseley Tool & Motor Car Co. Founded Austin Motor Company 1905. Conservative MP for King's Norton (Birmingham) 1918–October 1924.
29 Walter Runciman (1870–1949) Liberal MP Oldham 1899–1900, Dewsbury 1902–18, Swansea West 1924–29, St Ives 1929–31. Liberal National MP St Ives 1931–37. Parliamentary Secretary Local Government Board 1905–7, Financial Secretary, Treasury 1907–8, President Board of Education 1908–11, Board of Agriculture 1911–14, Board of Trade 1914–16 and 1931–37. Lord President of Council 1938–39. Special Envoy to Czechoslovakia 1938. Created Viscount Runciman of Doxford 1937.
30 Reginald McKenna (1863–1943) Liberal MP Monmouthshire North 1895–1918. Financial Secretary, Treasury 1905–7, President Board of Education 1907–8, 1st Lord of Admiralty 1908–11, Home Secretary 1911–15, Chancellor of Exchequer 1915–December 1916.
31 John Allsebrook Simon (1873–1954) Liberal MP Walthamstow 1906–18, Spen Valley 1922–40. A Liberal National from 1931. Solicitor-General 1910–13; Attorney-General 1913–15; Home Secretary 1915–January 1916 and 1935–1937; Foreign Secretary 1931–35; Chancellor of Exchequer 1937–40; Lord Chancellor 1940–45. Knighted 1910, created Viscount Simon 1940.
32 James Ramsay MacDonald (1866–1937) Labour MP Leicester 1906–18, Aberavon 1922–29, Seaham 1929–31. National Labour MP for Seaham 1931–35 and Scottish Universities 1936–37. Labour Party Secretary 1900–12, Chairman 1912–14, Labour Leader 1922–31. Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary January–November 1924, Prime Minister 1929–35, Lord President of the Council 1935 – May 1937.
33 Philip Snowden (1864–1937) Labour MP Blackburn 1906–18, Coine Valley 1922–31. Chancellor of Exchequer January–November 1924, 1929–31; Lord Privy Seal 1931–32. Created Viscount Snowden 1931.
34 Robert Leonard Outhwaite (1869–1930) Journalist. Unsuccessfully contested West Birmingham 1906. Liberal MP, Hanley July 1912–18.