第82部分(第5/7 頁)

ough　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