Lloyd George, the Soviet Union & New York, 1930-32

In January 1920 Gareth was offered a short term contract as Foreign Affairs Advisor to David Lloyd George. He enjoyed his work there despite the heavy demands made upon him in preparing briefs. In August that year he visited the Soviet Union for the first time, principally to visit Donetsk in Ukraine, where his mother had been, reporting ‘Russia is in a very bad state, rotten, no food, only bread, oppression, injustice amongst the workers and 90% discontented. In October 1930 he published three unsigned articles The Times entitled ‘The Two Russias’.

In 1931, for reasons of economy in the Lloyd George office, he went to New York to work for Dr Ivy lee, a public relations adviser to research a book of the Soviet Union. Through Lee, he met Jack Heinz II and together they travelled to the Soviet Union. Later Heinz published Experiences in Russia – 1931 A Diary based on Gareth’s diaries. On his return to New York, Gareth gave many talks about the Soviet Union, which were widely reported in the American Press.

Because of the Depression Lee’s office staff had to be cut down, so Gareth returned to London in April 1932 to a second term of employment with Lloyd George.

The experiences of 1931 had given him a greater knowledge of the Soviet Union, the American Character, world finances and politics.