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In 1929, employment for Cambridge
graduates, even with excellent results, was difficult to obtain, but
following an introduction by Dr Thomas Jones in 1930, Gareth was
appointed to the position of Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Wartime
Prime Minister, David Lloyd George. Gareth was fortunate to be
appointed to a well-paid position considering the world international
economic situation in 1929 and on Wednesday, January 1st 1930
Gareth commenced work at Old Queen Street, Westminster. He enjoyed his
work despite the heavy demands that Lloyd George made of him. He was
expected to read 7 French, 1 Swiss, 2 Italian, 3 German, 4 Russian
newspapers and the Chicago Tribune. He also had to write a weekly
report on the Foreign and Welsh Press.
No sooner had Gareth finished one
brief for the Welsh Wizard than there was further work to do. One
morning he found there was a note from Sylvester awaiting him when he
arrived at the office. On January 6th a Syro-Palestinian
Delegation had written a letter to Lloyd George drawing attention to the
pledges made to the Arabs during the War and stating that the Balfour
Declaration was in total opposition to these pledges. “Why were pledges
to the Jews honoured and those to Arabs disregarded.” In
1930 Gareth interviewed Chaim Weizmann who became the first President of
Israel – very intersting brief for Lloyd George
The former Prime Minister asked for
an account of Proportional Representation and of the electoral system of
Germany. It was to be ready by 1.15 that day. “I want you to get” he
said “ an account of the electoral system in Germany, Belgium, France
and any other country where there is either a second ballot, or the
alternative vote or P.R.”
Gareth was kept busy undertaking
briefs. One was on “The situation in India, Palestine and Egypt” and he
worked hard on a brief on the results of the “Naval Conference compared
with Washington Conference.” He also prepared memoranda on Aristride
Briand and American tariffs. His briefs covered many and varied topics.
Gareth’s knowledge on world affairs was now without bounds.
India’s demands for Independence
rated highly in the politics of the time. Gareth criticised an article
L.G wrote for the Daily Mail which contained an attack on
Wedgwood Benn, a veiled one on the Viceroy of India and gave the
impression that British Leaders including Stanley Baldwin were muddled
and confused. This was repeated by Miss Stevenson to Lloyd George and
Miss Gellan counselled silence as the best policy in future.
Mae Mrs Lloyd George a Megan yn
cashau ysgrifennyddes Lloyd George Miss Stevenson.
Later Gareth was suddenly called to
see Ll.G: “The Chancellor of Austria is coming to see me today. Schoo –
What is his name?” “Schober, Sir.” “What’s the political situation in
Austria now?” Gareth spoke about the Heimwehr etc. The Sangerfest in
Vienna.”
Miss Edwards, a secretary on Ll.G’s
staff described the statesman’s character “He is a strange mixture of
extremes. Sometimes he can be amazingly kind, as he was when her father
died. Sometimes he can be absolutely cruel and give you the worst
dressing down possible. You never know how he takes news. Sometimes he
takes bad news extremely angrily and peevishly for instance, Nottingham
by-elections yesterday. Sometimes much worse news may come in and he
may say, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter. We’ll do better next time.’ He takes
sudden likes and dislikes or if he takes a dislike then everything you
do is bad.”
The always patient A.J.Sylvester told
Gareth;
“I’ve been following him (Ll.G.)
round with a bag for 10 days. If I ask him a question he just walks
away. He won’t say “Yes or No.” “I’ve been following him round. He’s
in a terribly difficult mood these days. He’s going to Derby today. He
wanted to go in a new blue suit, so he had new blue suit made for him.
He said he was not going in a top-hat. Today he asks, “What should I
wear?” I said, “You should be going in a top-hat.” “Well, I am going
in to wear this suit.” Now what if the King talks to him! So finally
at the last minute he says: “Very well; why weren’t the clothes ready.”
And now we have to search all the corners of London for clothes for
him.”.
Diplomatic relations had been
restored with the Soviet Union after the Arcos affair in 1927 and Gareth
was now able to make his first visit - his pilgrimage to Hughesovka.
The visit was very brief as the only
food he could obtain him was one small roll of bread. His letter home
from Berlin wrote of the terrible conditions in Ukraine, of famine and
he anticipated many deaths.
On Gareth’s return when at
Metro-Vickers Company there was a very important call for him from Miss
Edwards who said; “They want you down at Churt.” Seebohm Rowntree, Lord
Lothian and Wallace Stewart were present for the weekend.
Mr. Rowntree said: “I gave such a
glowing account of your talk with me that they said they must have you
down. I said that it was more thrilling than any novel I’d read, not
only being very valuable, but that you have the gift of a raconteur.”
Gareth wrote comprehensively of his
visit in his diary of his visit and I must just give you some quotes
from the conversation
“Poor devils,” said Lloyd George when
I told him about Donetsk. That’s the place to live in. Tell us what
would they do with us if we had a Soviet Government here?” I replied;
“You would be shot Sir.” “And what about Lothian?” “Oh, he’d be sent
Solovki or the Dokery Islands.” “And Rowntree?” “ Oh he’d be put in
charge of the Soviet chocolate industry with a Communist looking after
him. As soon as he had given all his knowledge and experience to
another man he’d be sent away.”
When I said about the tear bombs on
Russian towns, he said; “There are some places in London I’d like to
drop bombs on.” “10 Downing Street,” said Wallace. “Yes, I would like
to wake them up a bit.” This anecdote was quoted in Tom Jones book A
Diary of Letters but without any reference to Gareth and despite the
fact that Stanley Baldwin was included in the account and it was related
to him.[i]
Rowntree continued ; “What do you
think of Baldwin?”
“He’s very ambitious. Balfour
once told me. “There are two men who to the public appear ambitious,
but who are really very retiring and conscientious. They are Asquith
and Curzon. Then there are two who appear retiring and modest and who
really very self-seeking and cunning. They were who? Baldwin and well,
you will never guess. – Grey was very, very ambitious.” I was
staggered when he came to spend a weekend before the formation of the
Government in 1906. He did nothing between 1896 to 1906, but did
everything to be Foreign Secretary.
Rowntree: -“What will his part be in
history?
Lloyd George: “He’ll play a very
contemptuous part in history. He made some great mistakes, which could
have shortened the War. He could have kept Turkey out of the War. He
could have kept Bulgaria out of the War. A million pounds would have
done it. If he could only bribed Ferdinand. That would have had a
tremendous effect on the War. Then he persuaded Greece to keep out of
the War. Greece had some 200,000 trained men. He could have saved the
Gallipolli disaster.
“I was dead against the War. So were
a lot of others until Belgium was invaded.”
After Lloyd George had gone to bed,
Wallace said, “I’ve never heard Lloyd George listen like that. Usually
it’s we who listen to him all the time.”
Fortune favoured
Gareth on his return. Lord Lothian introduced him to Geoffrey Dawson of
The Times and three articles entitled ‘The Two Russias’
were published in the October and in April the following year the
Western Mail published five.[ii]
Gareth wrote describing the situation in the Soviet Union and said “The
Dominant factor of the Five-Year Plan is the character of Stalin, the
dictator. This ruthless, honest man is just the man to drive a nation.
He is brutal and has no mercy. Gareth wrote that: “The success of the
Plan would strengthen the hands of the Communists throughout the world.
It might make the twentieth century a century of strugg1e between
Capitalism and Communism.”
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