Transgressions: Installment XCIXI

December 1, 1938, Thursday Livia’s: Jack says that Chamberlain has been communicating with Hitler as part of an effort to urge him to moderate anti-Jewish activities (“Kristallnacht”), as these are inflaming British public opinon and thus making Chamberlain’s efforts toward an Anglo-German alliance more difficult. Lord Cecil looked startled. “If so, the Foreign Office hasn’t been informed.” Later he said something about touching pitch—“or a more odoriferous substance.”

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According to Jack, Chamberlain is particularly worried that these anti- Jewish excesses are weakening the German government, which he thinks is “crumbling”. Halifax, back from Paris, reported that Chamberlain and Daladier have agreed that Czechoslovakia, being now in the German sphere, is no longer guaranteed by either France or the United Kingdom.

Cadogan calls Italians “ice-creamers.”

The evening concluded with Philip (“My most recent genius”—Livia) playing some Bach pieces for unaccompanied cello. He says that Watt is keeping “nearly official office hours” at a branch of the F.O.

December 2, 1938, Friday Worked all day on my article to get it into shape to take to Norfolk for the final push on this draft.

December 3, 1938, Saturday V. and I “listened to the news” last night, as is becoming our routine. She is taking an interest in my essay, which is vy. nice of her. When we arrived last night at the Countess’s, V. announced that I was not to be disturbed while writing this week-end and had me brought my lunch on a tray to-day.

December 4, 1938 Sunday I reached the end of this version of my Burlington article just before dinner and read it to Violet and the Countess afterwards. V. thinks it good. The Countess said: “I am sure some people will find that very interesting.” Now to the polishing.

The cook surprised us this morning with a hot breakfast, then we went to services at the Cathedral, lunched with the bishop and just made the London train.

December 5, 1938, Monday I re-read the desk article this morning and found it all out of kilter. The mechanical bits are too long; the history too brief, etc. Quite depressing. Spent the day at the BM swotting up more history.

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December 6, 1938, Tuesday Lunch with Watt. Except for gossip about “Harold” and “Guy B.”, he was interested in talking about nothing other than his imaginary machines. He says that as anything can be expressed as a series of numbers (“Let A=01”, etc.), and as any series of numbers can be expressed as a function, then what has been called knowledge can be reduced to the exercise of solving formulae of varying degrees of complexity. “And music?” I asked. “Yes, if music is a form of knowledge; no, if it not.”

December 7, 1938, Wednesday The Germans have signed a Friendship Declaration with the French, following the Munich pattern. It is thought at the British embassy in Berlin that this is a ruse, that Hitler will soon fall upon France, and Britain, too, in order to secure his Western flank before he moves East.

December 8, 1938, Thursday Livia’s: According to Lord Cecil, there have been discussions between Chamberlain and Halifax, on the one hand, and Ribbentrop, on the other, tending toward an agreement in advance to German plans to dismember Poland & detach the Ukraine from Russia. Cecil thinks this folly. And, according to Jack, various non-Party groups and individuals in Germany are floating suggestions that amount to continuing the foreign policy objectives of the current regime, but without the current personnel. Cecil: “Won’t do.”

The evening ended with Philip communicating another episode of mathematical observations by old Bach.

December 9, 1938, Friday I think I have the sections of the desk article in some kind of balance, ready for more Norfolk polishing.

V. says that everyone thinks of her as just another young county matron or as a kind of clerk at the N.G. and that neither is of any interest to herself or anyone else. I told her that it does not matter what other people think, but she evidently thinks that it does matter.

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December 10, 1938, Saturday Deep snow. Violet and the Countess played their pianos in the afternoon as I moved this part of my essay from here to there; that part from there to here.

December 13, 1938, Tuesday We went with Jack to an immense party for the diplomatic corps and the Government given by a Mrs. Wallace, the daughter of Lutyens. It was boycotted by the Germans, as a protest against the PM’s protest against scandalous references to Baldwin by the German government. This resulted in 40 of the ten thousand chairs at dinner empty. The PM gave a speech in his own praise, which was amusingly received: what he presented as minor actions were applauded, while what he presented as triumphs—the Anglo-Italian and Anglo-German treaties—were greeted with silence. A sub-ministerial French official on Violet’s left spent much of the evening attempting to persuade her to become his mistress. V. said he would only desist when she named terms beyond his means.

December 15, 1938, Thursday Livia’s: Jack: Rumors that the Germans are planning to bomb London in March have been discussed in Cabinet: Chamberlain skeptical. Cecil: Secret intelligence sources (not named that way, of course) summarize the present situation in Germany as that it is completely under the control of Hitler, that he can turn its power in any direction at will, and that he has ambitions of world domination. He considers Britain Enemy No. 1.

Livia to Philip: “Dear, can we now hear something good from Germany?” We did.

December 16, 1938, Friday I read V. the final version of my Burlington essay and then we went to the Cafe? Royal to celebrate the fact that I wouldn’t force her to listen to it again. The Countess is in town—“The snow is just too exhausting”—and she came with us.

December 17, 1938, Saturday Posted the essay.

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Party at Welbeck Street. Rather difficult to remember the later bits (I’m writing this on Sunday). Rabensberg playing host in a hardy plutocratic way, holding court in a corner with Watt on one side and Fiona on the other. Philip, Violet and Tessa made up another group, with a singer called Peers. Burgess, Nicolson, and Jamie S-B, the Clarks and Haxton stood around the drinks table, Mrs. Clark increasingly unsteady.

A few hours after midnight I went looking for the w.c. The house had been designed to conceal such conveniences. One went downstairs, along corridors, past many closed doors. Trying one of these, it opened and I came across an extraordinary scene: A naked man, heavily muscled and hairy, blindfolded, on all fours on top of a sturdy table, his wrists and ankles tied with long leather straps to the tops of the table’s legs. His sex was harnessed with more black leather: a strip looped tightly around the base of the cock and then tied about his scrotum in such a fashion as to separate and immobilize his balls. Fiona, fully dressed, was standing next to him, the fingers of one hand pinching one of his nipples, the other hand slowly moving a leather dildo in and out of his ass. She glanced at me and then turned back to her duty, murmuring to her companion: “You would like to come, wouldn’t you? But you can’t, can you? Would you like me to take the harness off your balls? Well, I might, but not yet. Just think of the nigger whose cock is going in and out of your ass. And again.” Each of her questions met with groans from the blindfolded man.

At dawn Fiona walked around with a bell, awakening those who could be awakened, serving them hot chocolate ladled from a stock pot.

December 19, 1938, Monday This is the coldest day for five years. Steadily falling snow.

According to the morning newspapers, the President has decided on large expansions of the American military, particularly the Air Force. Fonseca- Miller, backed by Halifax, is pushing for a British continental military force.

The anti-aircraft guns previously staioned at Lichfield have been moved to Wellington Barracks, in sight of the German Embassy in Carlton

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House Terrace. This apparently in response to the rumors that Hitler is planning a surprise air attack on London on February 21.

Watt says he has taken on a course of private tutorials in coin flipping: “Teaching chaps all the right moves: advantages of shillings vs. half crowns, use of the thumb, that sort of thing.”

December 22, 1938, Thursday Snow. I seem to be starting a case of the ‘flu.

Livia’s: “Are you coming to the Appeasers’ Ball?” Her New Year’s party.

“My Christmas gift to Jack. Halifax has said that he will appear and Jack has hopes that Saint Neville himself might materialize.” I said that the Countess would be with us.

“Oh, then you must come. Halifax would never forgive me if she could have been and wasn’t there.” Then, sotto voce,

“Lord Cecil is talking about resigning from the Government. He says that he believes that Hitler will invade Poland in February or March and that Chamberlain will welcome it.”

Jack says that the Services have been instructed to bring their war plans to a state of readiness before the end of March.

December 23, 1938, Friday Lunch with Watt, who is doing more work at his Government office in Broadway.

Directly home to bed. Definitely ‘flu.

December 26, 1938 Snow and ‘flu.

James S-B is living with Jack in the Albany. Jamie=Odette.

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