My Life

My Life - Oswald MosleyFrench Presidential election of 1965. The sudden change from the portentous figurebehind a writing table in the Elysee to the appearance on television of the vieuxbonhomme in an armchair, generously answering even the most awkward questions ofa young interlocutor, was indeed an abrupt change; but it worked. It is superfluous toadd that no question arose of the General's basic character so suddenly changing.Mr. Asquith was much less flexible. The Roman senator disdained any playing to thegallery and had, perhaps, a certain intellectual arrogance; hence some of his troubles.He ignored the basic rule to conceal contempt, for contempt is one of the things mennever forgive. All this made him an attractive figure in his firm honesty, but heincurred unnecessary criticism. Nevertheless, he had a highly practical sense: 'Solviturambulando' was one of his favourite sayings during discussions of parliamentaryprocedure. 'Does the right honourable gentleman mean by walking through thedivision lobby?' enquired Lord Hugh Cecil, as the Liberal Government had been usingthe guillotine. 'No, sir, by walking through the realm of reason in the light of truth,'replied the Prime Minister.It is quite natural that throughout all the vicissitudes of politics Asquith should haveretained a close friendship with Balfour, for they had so many friends and so manyinterests in common, quite apart from politics. Yet the friendship became apparentlythe object of profound suspicion to many people. In circles which should have knownbetter it was suggested that politics were thereby rendered insincere; the lampoons ofBelloc and Chesterton were largely directed at such relationships. The suspicion ofthe mass of the people sometimes took a robust English form in a native shrewdnessmisapplied. Dick Wallhead, one of the fine old pioneers of Labour when I first joinedthe Party, told me I must study the basic psychology of the movement, and recountedan anecdote of his youth. He was speaking in South Wales at a miners' meeting andwas introduced by the local chairman of the Party in the following fashion: 'Why dowe need a Labour Party? I will tell you why. Henry Asquith meets Arthur Balfourbehind the Speaker's chair. Henry, says Arthur, come and have one. Henry says, WellArthur, I don't mind if I do, and we'll see what we can do to dish the bloody workers.'There, observed the shrewd old Dick, you have the origin of the Labour Party.Such suspicions were by no means confined to the working class, as it used to becalled, but they were usually not well founded. These men were divided by greatprinciples, but remained personal friends. This is perfectly possible, as I have foundthroughout my political life. There were great issues which divided the parties inthose days, far more acutely than the main parties appear to be divided today. Theland question, tariff reform, and particularly the Ulster problem not only createdconsiderable differences of principle but also aroused the most violent emotion.Parliamentary rows extended from the Chamber even to the Ladies Gallery when onone occasion Speaker Lowther responded to an appeal to restore order there with theremark that he had enough to do with the devils below without occupying himselfwith the angels above.How much better it is to hold great principles without personal animosity than to haveno principles and yet to feel enmity. In those days they fought about their beliefs, butrespected and even liked one another. In these days it appears they have no principlesto quarrel about, or no principles which divide them, but on personal grounds theysimply detest each other. Faith is replaced by spleen. The strangest parliamentary83 of 424