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1908.
Jan. 1st.
... I had a tête-à-tête lunch with Winston Churchill; he unexpectedly came to the Admiralty and I was whirled off with him to the Ritz. I had two hours with him. He is very keen to fight on my behalf and is simply kicking with fury at —— & Co., but I’ve told him the watchword is “Silence.” He is an enthusiastic friend certainly! He told me he would get six men on both sides to join in con amore, F. E. Smith, &c., &c. I forget the other names. It was rather sweet: he said his penchant for me was that I painted with a big brush! and was violent!—I reminded him that even “The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force”—vide yesterday’s Second Lesson.
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1908.
Jan. 17th.
Secret.... I rather want to keep clear of Defence Committee till Morocco is settled, as I don’t want to disclose my plan of campaign to anyone, not even C.-B. himself. The only man who knows is Sir Arthur Wilson, and he’s as close as wax! The whole success will depend upon suddenness and unexpectedness, and the moment I tell anyone there’s an end of both!!! So just please keep me clear of any Conference and personally I would sooner the Defence Committee kept still. I’m seeing about the Transports. I started it about 7 weeks ago and got 3 of my best satellites on it.... So you’ll think me a villain of the deepest dye!
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1908.
(?) Feb. 9th.
... We want both a re-distribution as well as a re-organisation of the Army—and the (comparatively) small Regular Army should be based on the system of “Nucleus Crews”—that is to say the whole body of Officers are provided and ⅖ths (or the expert) part of the crew, and the other ⅗ths of the Army you get from the outside Army by whatever name you like to call it—National Army, or Citizen Army, or Lord Lieutenant’s Army.
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