I was more interested, however, in Lothian’s views on European policy. He visited Berlin about three years ago, talked with Hitler, and returned home a staunch Germanophile. Later on he began to retreat. He criticized the ‘Führer’ mildly, displayed interest in the fate of Czechoslovakia and concern about possible German aggression. Today, I found Lothian’s thoughts and sentiments to be overtly anti-German.

Munich, of course, was a crushing defeat for Britain and France. Hitler secured free access to the resources and raw materials of Central and South-East Europe. ‘Mitteleuropa’ is being created before our very eyes, though it is not yet complete. Where will Hitler go next? East or west? Both directions are possible. The odds are even. The urgent task is to unite democratic forces (England, France, the United States) against the aggressors, first and foremost Germany, and to arm them urgently. For tactical reasons, it is better not to raise the question of Soviet participation. The USA cannot be relied on very much for the time being: isolationism is too powerful there. However, even in America all thinking people, including the president and the army and navy chiefs, have come to realize that the fall of the British Empire would constitute a deadly danger for the USA, because supremacy at sea would then pass to the fascist aggressors – Germany, Japan and Italy. Fascism would triumph in Latin America, too. In such circumstances, US security would be jeopardized. That is why intelligent America understands that it cannot keep out of the democracies’ struggle for their existence. Nevertheless, for the moment one cannot rely on the USA as an active force in international affairs. The responsibility of Britain and France is thus all the greater. If they fail to arm quickly and mightily, the world could be in for a dismal fate. Will they succeed? This will become clear in a few months. Much time has been lost. To overtake Germany in the sphere of air arms is very difficult, if not impossible. Let the USSR also arm. Even without any formal pacts or commitments, the simultaneous arming of the ‘Western democracies’ and the USSR can play a tremendous role in preventing the further expansion of the aggressors.

Such is Lothian’s present mood. True, he is an inconsistent sort, but it is still rather interesting to take his temperature at this particular moment.

Lothian says that he no longer has anything to do with The Times. Clearly, the Astors do not delight him much either.