Chapter 65, London, 13 July 1940
Halifax returned to a very wet London. The gorgeous summer weather, with the heat growing increasingly oppressive and heavy, had finally broken and torrential rain swept the city. Halifax noticed that there few were people in the streets as his car took him to Downing Street.
It always rains when I return to London, he thought sourly. At Garrowby he had been able to ride every morning, and to stroll through the grounds with Lady Halifax every evening before dinner. Struggling to avoid getting completely drenched as he left the car he noticed the gloomy expression of the policeman guarding his official residence.
Cole, thankfully, was more than up to the task. He had prepared a change of clothes and a cup of hot chocolate in Halifax’s bedroom. As he struggled to change there was a gentle rap at the door.
“Ah, Cole, is that you? I cannot find my collar studs.”
Cole entered and bowed deeply. “Here, My Lord.”
“Obliged, Cole, obliged. Was there anything else?”
“My Lord, a reminder that you have Cabinet shortly.”
“Ah yes. When they awwive show them into the Cabinet Room.”
“Shall I serve tea, Sir?”
“What? Oh, er, yes, better ask them all first.”
Suitably changed and refreshed, Halifax entered the Drawing Room to find a damp Butler dripping all over the furniture. Cole entered and offered him a towel, which he accepted, trying to dry himself in a dignified way.
“Rab, how is Westminster?”
“My Lord, before we go in be warned that Attlee will go on about the Far East again.”
“Wather a waste, seeing as we will be holding a special meeting on it shortly.”
“I know, Sir, I know. But he will want to set out his views I think. There’s one other matter.” Halifax looked at him, recognising the tone. Butler continued. “America. We think he’s going to pressure you about America.”
Halifax nodded and, with Butler, entered the Cabinet Room. He noticed that Eden and Attlee were deep in discussion. “Gentlemen, I wish you a good morning. Deputy Prime Minister, I believe that you have matters to discuss?”
“Yes My Lord, I do. Can we just clarify here our policy towards Japan?”
“A matter for our meeting with the Chiefs of Staff, I believe.”
“But diplomatically?”
Butler sat up. “We are going to try every avenue. The Commonwealth, the Japanese themselves…”
“The Americans?” That was Stanley, making an innocent suggestion. Halifax winced. Attlee pounced.
“Prime Minister, in the two months in which you have been in office we have made only the most feeble of attempts to engage with the United States.”
Halifax looked sadly at Attlee. Butler took up the response. “We have been rather busy in Europe, Deputy Prime Minister,” he remarked sarcastically.
“We have to speak to them about this!” Attlee was aghast at the lack of action from Halifax, who now raised his hand to reply.
“I am attending the Middle Temple Guest Night tomorrow evening. I believe that Ambassador Kennedy will be attending, and I will engage him there.”
Attlee looked at Dalton, who nodded. “The Chancellor and I are agreed that we need to fully clarify, publicly, our position on the Far East. The public, both here and in the Commonwealth, is concerned with what it is you actually intend to do.”
Halifax, taking refuge in his planned encounter with Kennedy that evening, tried again to prevaricate. “When I have discussed the matter with their Ambassador, vewy well. But I will not prejudge the matter!”
Hankey looked thoughtful. “We could approach the Canadians, try to get them to use their influence on Washington?”
Eden nodded his agreement. “My Lord Hankey has made an excellent suggestion. Mackenzie King could be a very useful go-between for Anglo-American discussions.”
“With respect,” snapped Attlee, “we cannot refer to the Prime Minister of one of the key members of the Commonwealth as a ‘go-between’!”
“But again, we bwoach this when we meet with the Commonwealth leaders later this month. Now, Chancellor, how is the economy?”
“Prime Minister, we are completing our change to a peacetime economy. I will, with your permission, approve trade deals with Persia and Portugal trading our surplus of energy for badly needed rare materials and hard cash.”
“Appwoved, though I don’t want any financial adventuring.”
[Game Effect] – And so the debate it rambleth on. Essentially the British, without a moral crusade against Nazi Germany behind them, are struggling to agree on how to approach both the US and then Japan. Halifax has shown a moment of improvisation – the Inns of Court will be holding a dinner and Kennedy will be present, just the kind of “gentleman’s diplomacy” where he feels comfortable. But this is not really sufficient – we are in “rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic territory” as the Cabinet dithers.
Trekaddict: No, not Google – my biography of Halifax and a few other old tomes make up most of the research!
El Pip: Indeed – this is a small victory in the difficult times ahead. Ironically, Clark is now going to resign robbing the British of a very capable diplomatic asset.
GeneralHannibal: As hinted by Halifax, there will shortly be a Dominion PM conference – overdue I think given the events of Spring/Summer 1940. South Africa may not be allying itself with Germany, but nor is it best pleased with the UK.
Sir Humphrey: Many thanks!
TheExecuter: The whole Ribbentrop visit was designed to cheer everyone up a bit. Otherwise the AAR was in danger of becoming too gloomy!
Nathan Madien: Thanks for your PM. I’m glad my plan makes reasonable sense.
Kurt_Steiner: Yes, and they make great material for AAR writing!
Nathan Madien: It always seems to me that the Italians were in WWII just to irritate the Germans.
BritishImperial: A classic example of the Italian tragicomedy at work.