As the senior lady guest, Lady Vansittart sat next to me at dinner in the embassy and described to me in the frankest terms the difficulties her husband is currently facing. The problems derive from Vansittart’s and Simon’s differing views on numerous matters. Moreover, Simon devotes little time to the Foreign Office and shifts the entire mass of routine business onto Vansittart. The latter is up to his neck in work from early morning till late at night, while Simon visits his country house every weekend and plays golf. Lady V. cited the events of the last fortnight as an example. The question of Simon’s visit to various European capitals in connection with the Anglo-French agreement has turned Vansittart’s life into absolute hell. Vansittart thinks that the question should have been resolved quickly and far-sightedly, i.e. it should have been decided right away that Simon would travel not only to Berlin, but also to Moscow. Vansittart had been working in this direction for the last fortnight, but Simon was constantly obstructing him: today it was yes, the next day no, and the day after that he would recommend postponing the decision. A decision was finally taken at the last Cabinet meeting on 27 February, but it only concerned Simon’s visit to Berlin. Vansittart thought this a mistake: it would have been better to decide on Berlin and Moscow at once. But Vansittart was unable to push through his point of view, partly because the Soviet government’s attitude to Simon’s possible visit was still unknown on 27 February. After I told Vansittart about the Soviet government’s positive attitude to Simon’s visit, Vansittart felt it essential to push this issue through as a matter of urgency. But he could not get in touch with Simon for several days since, after returning from his lecture in Paris, Simon did not even look in at the Foreign Office, but went straight to his country house to play golf. Vansittart tried to get hold of him, but Simon was clearly doing his best to avoid meeting him. On Sunday, 3 March, his patience exhausted, Vansittart set off by himself to see Baldwin and then MacDonald. He had long talks with both and obtained their approval for Simon’s visit to Moscow. The final decision will most likely be taken at the nearest Cabinet session, i.e. on 6 March. But all this has put extraordinary strain on her husband and frayed his nerves terribly. He returned from holidays only three months ago, and already he feels very tired again. I seized upon Lady V.’s remark and suggested that she and her husband might make a trip to Moscow for the Easter holidays – not on an official visit, but as tourists wishing to see the USSR. Vansittart, I believe, had had such intentions in the past. Lady V. replied enthusiastically that she wanted to go to Moscow very much, and that Easter would be a good time, but she was afraid Simon might put a spanner in the works. If, as she hopes, Simon goes to Moscow soon, he might start entertaining all sorts of suspicions: why should Vansittart go there, too, so soon after him? Is Vansittart plotting something behind his back? In the course of further conversation, I asked Lady V. whether Simon would go to Berlin alone or with Eden. She answered with a sigh of relief: ‘Fortunately, together with Eden. Simon is easily flattered, and Hitler is likely to be generous in this regard. This may prompt Simon to make some careless statements in Berlin. Eden will restrain him and put him right.’