LORD RIDDELL'S INTIMATE DIARY OF [February 1920

certain Minister to whom they strongly objected was kept in
office only because he was L, G/s illegitimate son. This caused
B. L. much merriment. I have never before seen him so much
amused. He told me a story about Beaverbrook. Recently the
Daily Express, Beaverbrook's paper, published an exclusive
article regarding Barnes's retirement. Bonar Law said someone
went from the Government to Beaverbrook and asked him
where he got the information. Beaverbrook replied, " Will you
undertake not to divulge the source if I tell you ? " " Yes ! "
was the answer. " Well," said Beaverbrook, " we got it from

-----*s mistress ! " The point of the story is that-----is the

last word in respectability.

Notwithstanding B. L.'s gloominess he is a first-class
talker, with a remarkable sense of humour and a wonderful
budget of apposite stories* I always rejoice when I get an
opportunity of a chat with him.

I5TH (SUNDAY).—Golfed with L. G. at St. George's Hill.
This morning President Wilson's letter calling for
Lansing's1 resignation was published.

L. G. : What did you think of Wilson's letter ? Is it not
an amazing document ? I have never seen such a letter written
by a public man. If you find me writing letters like that, I
hope you will lock me up !

R. : The letter is so pompous that it looks as if the writer
were suffering from mental exaltation !
L. G. : It certainly looks very strange.
Later, when we returned, L. G. again read the correspond-
ence and punctuated it with comments. He said, " Lansing
wrote a good letter. His statement that Ms resignation came
as a relief was an effective thrust and he makes other good
points, I am sorry about Wilson. I got to like him. He was a
very nice man. I shall never forget the day I left Paris after
the Peace Conference. I opened the windows at the rue Nitot
and gazed on Wilson's house, shorn of all its pomp—no
guards, no detectives and the windows all shuttered. I felt I
was closing a book that would never be reopened—a book of
intense interest. It was an anxious time, but a pleasant time. I
enjoyed it, I doubt if I shall ever spend such another. It was all
1 Wilson's Secretary of State; d. 1928.

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