1909] Lloyd George's Admiration of Dingra 277 



time to put them off till Monday. It was a beautiful day, and all went 

 off successfully. 



" In the evening we had another great discussion of the fundamentals 

 of politics, each of us holding our own ground. Mine was, of course, 

 that of ' Satan Absolved,' to which Winston opposed one of optimistic 

 Liberal Imperialism where the British Empire was to be maintained, 

 in part by concession, in part by force, and the constant invention of 

 new scientific forces to deal with growing difficulties of Imperial rule. 

 He admitted, however, that India does not pay its expense to us in 

 men or money ; and it seems to me that he would be pretty easily per- 

 suaded to let it go, were the pressure severe enough. Like most of 

 them, it is the vanity of Empire that affects him more than supposed 

 profit or the necessities of trade, which he repudiates; also, doubtless, 

 his military training counts for much in his Imperialism. He will 

 come round to me in time. Harry Cust, with all his cleverness, was 

 quite outclassed by Winston in the discussion, who has studied all these 

 problems thoroughly, and is wonderfully quick in defending his posi- 

 tion. He has just his father's talent of seizing the points of a situation 

 and driving them home in his replies. He fills me with admiration 

 and delight. The two women took little part in the discussion, but 

 sat in rapt attention. Mrs. Cust is a nice woman and her book, 

 ' Gentlemen Errant,' which I have been reading, is a monument of 

 historical research. He, though less attractively brilliant than Church- 

 ill, is wonderfully well equipped for talk, having a far greater know- 

 ledge of history and literature and a real poetic side, which in Churchill 

 is wanting. His knowledge of poetry is wide, and he has himself 

 written quite excellent verse. Both have wit and quickness of repartee 

 and the power of epigram. It is first-class sword play between them. 



"3rd Oct. (Sunday.) — To-day was rainy and nobody appeared 

 downstairs till noon. But our talk began again at luncheon with new 

 vigour. Then we went out to look at the stallions. I mounted Churchill 

 on Rijim and took him with the others to Worleys to look at the mares, 

 which gave us a fine exhibition of galloping and circling round us. 

 Rijim showed himself nobly, and I promised Churchill he should ride 

 him in the procession there would be one day when he went to open 

 Parliament as the first President of the British Republic. 



" Again we sat up till late. Among the many memorable things 

 Churchill said was this : Talking of Dingra, he said that there had 

 been much discussion in the Cabinet about him. Lloyd George 

 had expressed to him his highest admiration of Dingra's attitude as 

 a patriot, in which he (Churchill) shared. He will be remembered 

 2,000 years hence, as we remember Regulus and Caractacus and Plu- 

 tarch's heroes, and Churchill quoted with admiration Dingra's last 

 words as the finest ever made in the name of patriotism. All the 



