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1939
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2009
Extract
Sunday 1 January 7–30 pm. After some work and a bite of lunch I took a taxicab for fleet Street, calling en route at the Press Association Offices, at the Central News and the Exchange Telegraph, to see that Cecil Harmsworth has a good show in tomorrow's Press when his Peerage is announced. At the D.M. office I found Bob Prew by himself and congratulated him on being, even against his will, the acting editor of the Daily Mail. While we waited for the honours list he told me the inside story of the ‘sackings’ of Cranfield and Head and the resignation of Roberts, the Night Editor. It seems that Cranfield was away on holiday. The day before his return Esmond Harmsworth and Bell drafted a careful letter which they sent to Cranfield's flat, telling him to take six months holiday and saying they would announce his health was indifferent. But Cranfield came straight from the aerodrome to the office, to Bell's extreme embarrassment. Esmond was in Scotland and Bell didn't know if the letter had been sent. The next day and the next Cranfield appeared as usual. One night he and Prew arranged to go to their respective flats for dinner, before the proofs came down of the first edition. Prew then had a ring from Cranfield saying that they had both better return together as news had come that Neville was flying to Berchtesgaden the next day. Prew suggested that he would wait outside his own flat till Cranfield picked him up in the office car. He waited and to his surprise the car was driving past him. He attracted the driver's attention and climbed in. Cranfield was huddled in a corner. Prew began to report that by phone he had told them to be ready to open the leader page, had got a leaderwriter waiting, and so on. To all this Cranfield made no response.
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References
1 Robert ‘Bob’ Prew: Ass. & then Ed. Daily Mail, 1939–1944.Google Scholar
2 R.E. Roberts (1879–1955); journalist; Literary Ed. New Statesman 1930–1932Google Scholar; Night Ed. Daily Mail.
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14 The Mistery was a ‘masonic’ splinter group. C.B. was a member of both the Grosvenor Kin (which met at Claridges) and the St James Kin. The Mistery's ideal was to recover some of the lost values of older England, and to nuture men of all classes who might be fitted to, or worthy of, leadership.
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18 One of Rothermere's solicitors.
19 Anthony (Perceval) Harmsworth (1907–68): barrister.
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22 B.G. Catterns (1886–1969): Dep. Gov. of Bank of England 1936–45.
23 Philip Tonstall Fairer (1887–1966): served European war 1914–19; ADC British Military Mission, Albania 1919–20; Priv. Sec., Ld. Pres, of Council 1922–4, to Ld. Privy Seal & Leader of HofL. 1924–9, to 4th Marquess of Salisbury 1929–39.
24 Eric Chaplin (1877–1949): sue. 2nd Viscount 1923.
25 Meaning the King and his immediate entourage. The phrase is a play on words referring to Buckingham Palace.
26 Lord Philimore (1879–1947): co-founder of the Imperial Policy Group, suc. 2nd Baron.
27 George Drummond (1883–1963): banker; Chm. of Drummond's branch, Royal Bank of Scotland; High Sheriff of Northampton 1927; Member House of Keys 1946–51.
28 Mervyn Horation Herbert Clive (1904–43): RAF Squadron Leader; suc. Bart. 1929.
29 Cecil Harmsworth King (1901–87): journalist, Ed. & Dir.; Chm. of Mirror Group; Dir., Reuters 1953–9; Dir. Bank of England 1965–8.
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31 Leslie Burgin (1887–1945): MP Luton 1929–45 (Lib. until 1931 thereafter Nat. Lib.); P.S. Bof T. 1932–7; Min. of Transport 1937–9; Min. of Supply 1939–40.
32 Suffering from a thrombosis — ordered to lay up for 3–4 weeks.
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35 Sir John Anderson (1882–1958): Ind. MP Scottish Universities 1938–50; civil servant 1905–32; Gov. of Bengal 1932–7; Ld. Privy Seal 1938–9; Home Sec. 1939–40; Chanc. of Exchequer 1943–5; cn Viscount Waverley 1952.
36 Gen. Maurice Gamelin (1872–1958): French C-in-C until 20 May 1940.
37 Reference to the letter written in 1916 suggesting the need for a negotiated peace. The author was Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice Lansdowne (1845–1927): Under-Sec, for War 1972–4; Under-Sec, for India 1880; Gov.-Gen. Canada 1883–8; Viceroy of India 1888–94; Sec. of War 1895–1900; For. Sec. 1900–5; Min. without Portfolio 1915–16. suc. 5th Marquess 1866.
38 See Appendix D for ‘draft’.
39 Joseph Stalin (1879–1953): Gen. Sec. of the Central Ctte. of the Soviet Communist Party 1919–53; Chm. of the Council of People's Commissars 1941–6.
40 Queen Wilhelminia (1880–1962): Queen of the Netherlands 1898–1948; suc. Father 1890 with Queen Emma acting as Regent.
41 King Leopold III (b. 1901) Belgian King 1934–51, exiled following German invasion May 1940 but not allowed to return to throne after the war; abdicated in favour of son.
42 Robert Molesworth Kindersley (1871–1954): company dir.; merchant banker; Pres., National Savings Ctte. 1920–46; Dir., Bank of England 1914–46; Senior Rep., Dawes Ctte. 1922; member Bankers' Ctte. on German Finance 1921–5; cr. Baron 1941.
43 The subject of the pamphlet was thrift and it was prepared for the National Savings Committee.
44 W. Buchanan-Taylor: acting publicity director for Twentieth Century-Fox Films until 1940; early 1900s involved with Lyons; Hon. Publicity Adviser, National Savings Ctte. from 1940; post-war publicist for Bertram Mills circus.
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47 R's solicitor/lawyer.
48 His position was Honorary Press (Editorial) Director of National Saving Ctte.
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50 George Russell Strauss (1901–93): Lab. MP Lambeth N. 1929–31, 1934–50; Lambeth Vauxhall 1950–79; Jnr. Min. 1945–7; Min. of Supply 1947–51, cr. Baron. 1979.