the days of my life-第113章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　system　akin　to　that　which　is　known　as　credit…banks。　Thus　supported；　the　soil　of　Denmark；　which　is　on　the　whole　poorer　than　our　own　and　afflicted　with　an　even　worse　climate；　manages　out　of　its　small　extent；　equal　only　to　that　of　Scotland；　to　export　over　twenty　millions　sterling　worth　of　agricultural　produce；　chiefly　to　the　British　Isles；　in　addition　to　the　amount　which　it　keeps　at　home　for　sustenance　in　a　densely　populated　land。
What　Denmark　does　most　undoubtedly　the　United　Kingdom　could　do；　though　perhaps　with　some　variation　in　the　actual　products。　This；　however；　will　not；　I　think；　happen　under　that　aftermath　of　feudalism；　our　present　system　of　hired　farms；　many　of　which　are　larger　than　the　tenant　can　manage；　and；　as　a　consequence；　indifferently　cultivated。　Nor　will　co…operation　on　a　large　scale　arise　under　these　circumstances。　Owners　with　no　landlord　to　run　to　must　co…operate　in　self…protection；　tenants；　and　especially　large　tenants；　do　not　do　so。
I　was　anxious　to　serve　on　the　Development　Board；　in　the　interests　of　Afforestation；　and　also　I　felt　that　it　had　its　roots；　or　at　any　rate　some　of　them；　planted　in　the　soil　of　my　book　“Rural　England。”
Here　I　will　insert　a　note　that　I　made　of　a　conversation　which　took　place　between　Mr。　Lloyd　George　and　myself　in　May　1909；　which　throws　a　good　deal　of　light　upon　this　matter。
SUMMARY　OF　MY　CONVERSATION　WITH　MR。　LLOYD　GEORGE　ON　MAY　11；　1909。
（Made　from　notes　taken　on　the　same　morning。）
On　Friday　the　7th　of　May　I　met　Mr。　Lloyd　George　in　Parliament　Street。　He　said　he　“must　see　me；”　and　after　some　conversation　asked　me　to　breakfast　on　the　following　Tuesday。
I　began　by　putting　the　case　for　the　adoption　of　our　Afforestation　scheme　as　forcibly　as　I　could；　arguing　that　Afforestation　should　be　placed　in　the　hands　of　a　Permanent　Royal　mission。
The　Chancellor’s　answer　amounted　to　this：　That　he　was　most　anxious　to　see　our　Afforestation　plan　go　through　on　whatever　scale　could　be　arranged。　He　told　me　that　this　was　very　largely；　if　not　chiefly；　because　I　had　personally　succeeded　in　interesting　him　much　in　the　matter　when　we　met　and　stayed　together　at　Carrow　Abbey　last　year。　The　advocates　of　Afforestation　were；　he　considered；　very　fortunate　in　having　to　deal　with　him；　since　he　was　sure　that　no　Chancellor　who　went　before　him；　and　none　who　were　in　the　least　likely　to　follow　after　him；　would　listen　to　them　for　a　moment。　As　it　was　he　had　but　one　earnest　supporter　in　this　matter　in　the　Cabi　—　Winston　Churchill。
I　suggested　John　Burns　also；　inasmuch　as　the　Labour　party　were　all　in　favour　of　an　Afforestation　scheme。
He　replied：　No；　at　heart　Burns　was　not　in　favour　of　it；　and　for　the　reason　that　the　Labour　party　were。　He　added　that　J。　B。　was　“thoroughly　wrong”　with　the　Labour　party。
In　Parliament；　Mr。　Lloyd　George　continued；　this　party　was　the　only　one　from　which　he　received　any　support　as　to　Afforestation。　Although　they　had　seemed　to　be　in　favour　of　it　a　few　months　ago；　and　even　keen　for　it；　the　rest　of　the　Liberal　party　now　appeared　to　care　nothing　for　it；　while　the　Unionists　of　course　were　hostile　on　principle；　also　because　they　feared　it　would　interfere　with　sport。
All　these　considerations　made　the　matter　difficult　for　him。　Also　there　was　another。　In　the　Parliamentary　war　over　the　Budget　the　money　necessary　might　easily　be　cut　off。
I　then　passed　on　to　the　question　of　a　permanent　Royal　mission。
He　said　he　did　not　see　how　it　could　be　managed　for　Afforestation　alone；　but　that　it　might　be　for　the　purposes　of　the　administration　of　the　Development　Grant　as　a　whole。　Personally　he　was　entirely　adverse　to　the　passing　over　of　that　Grant　into　the　power　of　any　official　Department。
I　replied　that　one　permanent　Royal　mission　to　deal　with　the　whole　Development　Grant　y　ideas；　provided　that　Afforestation　was　adequately　represented　thereon。
I　asked　how　many　he　would　have　on　the　mission。　He　replied　that　he　feared　that　it　must　be　a　large　one；　as　he　supposed　it　would　be　necessary　to　put　on　representatives　of　the　various　Public　Offices。
A　discussion　then　ensued　as　to　who　would　be　the　best　Chairman　for　the　Development　Board　or　mission。　We　talked　over　various　names　that　seemed　to　fulfil　the　qualifications　he　considered　necessary；　namely；　that　this　Chairman　should　be　a　man　of　rank　and　wealth　if　possible。　As　regards　this　point　he　said　that　there　was　some　force　in　the　criticism　that　the　proposed　Development　Board　might　possibly　bee　a　tool　of　party　or　other　subtle　form　of　corruption；　and　even　descend　to　the　perpetration　of　jobs。
I　suggested　that　the　way　to　avoid　this　would　be　to　put　on　it　none　but　men　of　the　highest　character　who　were　known　to　be　impartial　and　open…minded　and　who　were　generally　respected　by　the　country。　He　agreed。
The　names　suggested　for　the　Chairmanship；　so　far　as　I　remember；　were　Lord　Desborough；　Sir　Herbert　Maxwell；　and　Lords　Milner　and　Curzon　（these　two　by　myself）。　Lord　Curzon；　he　thought；　would　bring　a　great　deal　of　dignity　to　the　office；　but　too　much　of　the　“viceregal　manner。”　Milner’s　name　he　favoured；　but　finally　seemed　to　conclude　that　he　was　in　a　sense　too　strong　a　man；　who　with　his　charming　manner　would　invariably　in　the　end　get　his　own　way；　which　might　not　always　be　the　right　way；　and　carry　the　mission　with　him。　Finally　after　a　pause　I　suggested　Lord　Rosebery。
“Rosebery！”　he　said；　sitting　down　and　thinking。　“Rosebery！　the　very　man！　Politically　detached；　universally　known；　beyond　suspicion；　and　a　master　of　the　subject。　The　very　man　—　that’s　a　stroke　of　genius　of　yours　—　if　he　will　serve。”
I　then　said　that　I　thought　there　ought　to　be　a　Vice…Chairman　also；　to　which　he　seemed　to　assent。　I　mentioned　further　that　being　much　interested　in　all　these　subjects；　I　should　like　to　serve　on　that　mission　if　it　were　ever　formed。　He　nodded　and　raised　no　objection　to　this；　but　how　much　or　how　little　that　may　mean　I　do　not　know。
When　I　bade　him　good…bye　he　was　sending　a　secretary　over　to　the　Prime　Minister　to　ask　at　what　time　he　could　see　him　that　morning；　in　order；　I　understood；　to　discuss　the　whole　matter。
The　general　impression　left　upon　my　mind　is　that　Mr。　Lloyd　George　means　to　put　this　business　through　if　he　can；　but　owing　to　the　great　forces；　secret　and　open；　ranged　against　him　and　it；　that　he　is　not　quite　certain　of　his　ability　to　do　so。
On　Christmas　Day；　1909；　I　received　a　letter　from　Lord　Ashby　St。　Ledgers；　my　Chairman；　in　which　he　said：
I　had　a　conversation　yesterday　with　Lloyd　George；　and　he　intimated　that　he　intended　to　offer　you　a　post　as　missioner　under　the　Development　Board。
I　told　him　it　was　slave…driving　not　to　offer　you　a　salary　with　it；　but　he　said　that　his　limit　of　3000　pounds　per　annum　had　not　enabled　him　yet　to　secure　a　permanent　official；　and　that　it　would　involve　an　amendment　of　the　Act　to　provide　anything　for　anyone　else。
He　spoke　of　Dick　Cavendish　for　Chairman；　and　Horace　Plunkett　and　an　Irishman　for　the　other　two。
Then　he　goes　on　to　talk　of　Afforestation　in　connection　with　the　proposed　Board。
I　should　explain　here　that　although　if　a　salary　had　e　my　way　I　should　not　have　refused　it；　considering　the　time　and　work　involved；　money　was　not　my　object　in　wishing　to　serve　on　this　Board。　That；　as　I　subsequently　informed　Mr。　Lloyd　George；　I　should　have　been　glad　to　do　for　nothing　as　a　piece　of　public　duty。
Afterwards；　by　his　direction；　an　interview　took　place　at　the　Ritz　Hotel　between　Lord　Ashby　St。　Ledgers；　on　behalf　of　the　Government；　Lord　Richard　Cavendish；　and　myself；　at　which　we　discussed　the　whole　policy　of　the　future　administration　of　the　Act。
It　might　now　have　been　thought　that　this　matter　was　settled；　but　again　there　proved　to　be　many　a　slip；　etc。
In　order　to　put　an　end　to　the　attacks　Lloyd　George　went　to　Mr。　Walter　Long；　who　was　leading　the　Opposition　on　the　Unionist　side；　offering　to　knock　off　one　name　—　I　believe　it　was　that　of　my　friend　and　colleague；　Professor　Somerville；　though　of　this　I　am　not　sure　—　but　saying　“I　must　have　Rider　Haggard。”　To　this　Mr。　Long　agreed；　and　the　matter　was　then　adjourned　to　the　following　night　—　I　think　the　last　of　the　session。　Again　the　trouble　began；　and　Sir　Frederick　Banbury；　either　throwing　over　or　not　knowing　of　the　arrangement　with　Mr。　Long；　threatened　to　stop　the　whole　thing；　once　more　in　a　thin　House；　unless　th