An ambassador’s war diary

‘Sir John Pilter came to see me. He is the head of the British Colony here. He is very disturbed on the subject of the permits for English people. He is just one of those men who are most tiresome to deal with although there is something to be said on his side. He claims all the rights of a British Citizen and yet when it comes to anything that he does not like he wants to be treated as a Frenchman. They all seem to think that a war is not on and as far as going backwards and forwards into the Army Zone is concerned they ought to be allowed to go as they like. At the same time there are grievances which I hope to get right.’ This is the 17th Earl of Derby - who died 70 years ago today - writing in a diary he kept while saving as the UK’s ambassador in the final months of the Great War. Before being packed off to Paris, he was Britain’s secretary of state for war and a staunch support of Douglas Haig, but he was at odds with the prime minister, Lloyd George, who mistrusted Haig (see previous article).

Edward George Villiers Stanley, later Earl of Derby, was born in London in 1865 into a distinguished aristocratic family of politicians: his father, Frederick Stanley, was the sixth Governor General of Canada, and his grandfather, Edward Smith-Stanley, was UK prime minister three times in the 1850s and 1860s. Edward was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, before starting out on an army career, first with the 3rd Battalion, King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) and then as a subaltern with the Grenadier Guards (1885-1895) which included an introduction to court, and public duties as aide-de-camp to his father in Canada. In 1889, he married Lady Alice Maude Olivia Montagu (who bore him three children); in 1893, on his father’s succession to the earldom, he became known as Lord Stanley.

Stanley entered Parliament for West Houghton (Lancashire) in 1892, and served as a Lord of the Treasury (1895-1900). On the outbreak of the South African War in 1899, he became chief press censor in Cape Town and was private secretary to Lord Roberts, commander-in-chief, who twice mentioned him in dispatches. On returning to Britain, he was appointed Financial Secretary to the War Office (1901-1903) and Postmaster General (a cabinet position) from 1903 to 1906 (when he lost his seat at the general election). In 1908, on the death of his father, he succeeded to the peerage (17th Earl of Derby), inheriting much land and the family estate at Knowsley, as well as a place in the House of Lords. He was always very active in Liverpool politics, becoming the city’s lord mayor in 1911, and, among other senior positions, presiding over its chamber of commerce for decades.

On the outbreak of war, Stanley played a major role in recruiting soldiers for Kitchener’s New Army, and he himself organised five battalions of the King’s (Liverpool) regiment, training them in the grounds at Knowsley. In 1916, prime minister Herbert Asquith brought him back to government as  Under-Secretary of State for War, but months later he was promoted to Secretary of State for War by the new prime minister David Lloyd George. As such, he became a strong supporter of Douglas Haig (in opposition to Lloyd George who mistrusted Haig, see previous Diary Review article - Haig’s ‘unique’ WWI diaries). From April 1918 to 1920, Stanley served as Ambassador to France (having finally been edged out of government by Lloyd George), but was again Secretary of State for War under prime ministers Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin from 1922 to 1924. On withdrawing from national politics, he continued to weigh heavily in regional affairs, distributing his patronage lavishly, and becoming a popular figure in Lancashire. He was also a very committed horse breeder and racer, his stable won many top events over the years - not least the Epsom Derby three times, a race named after the 12th Earl of Derby. He died on 4 February 1948. Further information can be found at Wikipedia, The Peerage, or the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (log-in required).

Lord Derby was no author, and published no books in his lifetime, though he was an artful letter writer. For a brief period, while in Paris, he kept a diary. On a weekly basis, he would dispatch his diary entries home to be locked away (although, after a while, he sent copies to some friends, notably Arthur Balfour). These texts remained unpublished for more than 50 years, and it was only on the initiative of  Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby, that the history academic David Dutton was given access to the diaries at Knowsley library. Dutton’s edited version of the diaries was published by Liverpool University Press in 2001 as Paris 1918: The War Diary of the British Ambassador, the 17th Earl of Derby (although oddly the title is abbreviated on the front cover). Some pages of this can be read online at Googlebooks.

According to the publisher: ‘The diary of the 17th Earl of Derby, once thought to have been lost, provides a detailed and important account of the last months of the First World War as seen through the eyes of the British Ambassador in Paris. Derby was in many ways an unlikely choice as ambassador. He was not a diplomat and could not, on his arrival, speak French. His appointment owed much to Lloyd George’s determination to remove him from his previous post as Secretary of State for War. But, after a somewhat uncertain start, he proved to be a very successful ambassador upon whom successive Foreign Secretaries, Arthur Balfour and Lord Curzon, relied heavily for their appreciation of the situation on the other side of the Channel. Derby took up his appointment at a crucial period of the war when military victory still seemed some way off. He became an assiduous collector of information which he dictated into his diary on a daily basis. Derby’s embassy became renowned for its lavish hospitality. But this was far from being self-indulgence, for he firmly believed that entertaining was the best way to win the confidence of his French associates and therefore to obtain information that would be of use in London. Derby’s diary provides important insights into the state of the war, the often strained relationship between Britain and France and the intrigues of French domestic politics.’

Here are a few extracts from Paris 1918: The War Diary of the British Ambassador.

5 June 1918
‘Usual meeting of the Board at 12 o’c. Nothing much to discuss except the question as to what would happen if we had to leave Paris. Difficult subject to deal with as we do not know where we should go to and we cannot ask for fear of giving rise to rumours. We put the whole thing in the hands of General Thornton who has promised to make all arrangements to get people away. I am endeavouring to get the members of the Missions who have their wives out here to send them home but it is a little difficult to do without giving rise to a suspicion.

After luncheon Furse came in. Afternoon. Nothing of importance and in the evening we three with Lady Rodney dined at the Ambassadeur.’

12 June 1918
‘Sir John Pilter came to see me. He is the head of the British Colony here. He is very disturbed on the subject of the permits for English people. He is just one of those men who are most tiresome to deal with although there is something to be said on his side. He claims all the rights of a British Citizen and yet when it comes to anything that he does not like he wants to be treated as a Frenchman. They all seem to think that a war is not on and as far as going backwards and forwards into the Army Zone is concerned they ought to be allowed to go as they like. At the same time there are grievances which I hope to get right.

Usual meeting of Missions at 12 o’c.

Left in the afternoon at 2.45 for G.H.Q. with Oliver. Took us just 5 hours, good going considering that we had 3 punctures on the way. Nobody staying at G.H.Q. Winston and Marlborough having been got rid of with difficulty in the morning. Winston cannot have much to do in his office as he has now been away for 10 days and as far as I can see joyriding. He asked for a House to be taken for him in the Army Zone. When this was done he was very angry about it because naturally he has been told he must pay for it himself. He has no official standing out here whatsoever.

Bacon dined in the evening. He is now the American Officer on Haig’s staff, a most charming fellow who was Ambassador here about 5 years ago and very popular. Haig had been to see an American Brigade and told me they were some of the most splendid men he had ever seen and very well drilled. They were National Guard Troops and therefore correspond to our old Militia. They find the Americans pick up the work very quick and are able to go into the line much sooner than was anticipated which is a good thing.

Heard how poor Lumsden, V.C. had been killed. It appears it was entirely his own fault. He was warned that there was a sniper about yet would not go down the communication trench and was shot dead. He is a great loss although like so many other gallant fellows they lose half their value when they get a Brigade and therefore get out of contact with the actual fighting line.’

17 June 1918
‘Routine work. Saw Mrs. Henshaw, Canadian Red Cross lady who is doing good work in helping to evacuate French people from the shelled areas. She comes from Victoria B.C. and knows Annie and Victor well.

Luncheon. Pichon and wife. Dumesnil and wife, both very nice people. He is the Minister for Aviation. Paul Reinach, the Greek Minister, also nice, and Grahame. Very amusing discussion after. Poor Reinach of course likes to hear himself do all the talking and tries to do it but met more than a match in Madame Pichon who is [a] most amusing old thing and chaffed him unmercifully. Really a very pleasant luncheon.

After luncheon saw Horodyski who is I think a sort of secret agent with the Poles. I thought him one of the most villainous fellows I had ever come across. Could not look you straight in the face and I should be very much surprised if he is straight. He is the nephew of the General of the Jesuits and for that reason I think is backed up by Eric Drummond who is a Catholic. Personally I cannot help thinking this Catholic clique will get us into trouble because all that is done goes straight to the Pope and we all know he is in direct contact with the Austrians.

Charlie and I went to tea at the Tiraux Pigeons with Mme de Montescieu. Lot of nice people there but these sort of teas are abominable institutions. I believe they are extremely popular here but I mean to avoid them for the future. Charlie and I dine alone together. News from Italy seems quite good.’