HANKEY (Sir Maurice Pascal Alers, 1877-1963, from 1939 1st Baron)

Typed Letter Signed ‘Hankey’ to J. Lloyd Humberstone saying he has read his “letter in the last issue of the ‘Sunday Times’ about the Kiel Canal zone. It is going to rather a difficult matter for those responsible for the peace settlement. It is not much good giving the responsibility to Denmark, which is a very weak country and not a very easy one to support under modern conditions. I even doubt if the Danes would accept it. On the other hand it is also not an easy position for any of the United Nations to occupy permanently. On the whole I am disposed to think that present and future air developments will make its neutralisation easier and its importance less in time of war. Many thanks also for the pamphlet on the public school question. I read the first half this morning with great enjoyment... In revenge I send you my Haldane Memorial Lecture... I am afraid that it does not deal with the question of the Army. You will find that set forth very fully in Lord Haldane’s own book ‘Before the War’...”, with a brief autograph note from the recipient signed with initials, saying that he had sent Hankey the Kiel Canal papers, 1 side A4, Privy Council Office, Whitehall, 29th July

Hankey worked in Naval Intelligence, 1902-1906. He was Secretary of the Committee for Imperial Defence, 1912-1938, as well as of the Privy Council 1923-1938, and was in the War Cabinet in both WW1 and WW2. He is best known as the highly-efficient top aide to Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the War Cabinet, which directed Britain during the First World War.

Item Date:  1944

Stock No:  41864      £175

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