HANKEY

saying that Asquith's habit was to report really important decisions to the Cabinet verbally. I do not remember his circulating documents... Of course there were no records of the Cabinet in 1911... in fact they only confirmed (in the light of the Algeciras Crisis) the conclusions that had been reached in 1908. I am not referring the the General Staff talks with the French, which as a matter of fact never came before the C.I.D, although most of the members must have had knowledge of them. The Cabinet were not informed of them officially until 1912... As regards inspection of the C.I.D. documents, I no longer have charge of them or any responsibility whatsoever. You would have to apply to the Secretary of the Cabinet, and my impression is that he would refuse... There might be something in the Gooch Temperly collection of documents on the 'Origins of the First War', but I rather doubt it. Esher's permanent membership was exclusive to the Balfour, Campbell Bannerman and Asquith eras and came to an end thereafter. Of course under the old system of elasticity anyone could be invited whom the Prime Minister wished. My doubts about the new Ministry of Defence are greater than I have made public, as I do not want to belittle what has been decided with general support. In my personal opinion, however, there is a great risk of friction either between the Minister of Defence and the Service Ministers and/or between the Minister of Defence and the Prime Minister. Imagine a man like Churchill. His claim to become Minister of Defence would be irresistible - he actually forced on Neville Chamberlain his Chairmanship of the Defence Committee in 1939. If such a man, with great knowledge, industry and ambition had been in charge for some time on the Defence preparations, and his Prime Minister had not bothered to keep himself closely in touch, as might quite well happen, the Minister of Defence would push the Prime Minister out in half a jiffy... ending that he doesn't want to be quoted, 2 sides 4to., Treasury Chambers, Whitehall, 8th November