THE CLIVEDEN SET

Evening Star, Issue 22975, 4 June 1938, Page 29

THE CLIVEDEN SET

ITS ROLE IN BRITAIN ATTITUDE TO GERMANY What is “The Clivejen Set” which, through a long series of events which culminated in the resignation from the British Cabinet of Mr Eden, now appears to have won a dominant position in the influence of British policy? asks the Winnipeg ‘ Free Press.’ According to Claud Cockburn, writing in Current History,’ it centres around the Thames-side country home, Cliveden, of Viscount Astor, who owns the ‘ Observer.’ His brother is Major John Jacob Astor, who owns a majority interest in ‘ The Times,’ and the two brothers are profoundly influenced by the viscount’s sprightly, energetic wife, Lady Nancy. Week-end parties at Cliveden were making and marring careers long before the Anglo-German issue came to dominate the field of European affairs, but since the spring of 1936 an intrigue has been going on from Cliveden which is often referred to as “Britain's second Foreign Office.” According to Mr Cockburn, the most crude expression of the Cliveden Set’s fundamental belief was that upon the lips of Mr Leche, British charge d’affaires in Loyalist Spain, who is re-

ported to have said: “ Myself I would rather see England run by Germans who were Monarchists than by Communists who were Englishmen.” Whether this be a proper reflection from the rustic shades of Cliveden .or not, it is certain that “ the Set ” believe that Red Russia is a greater peril to the world of to-day than Nazi Germany. THE CHIEF FIGURES, The chief personalities of the Cliveden Set, apart from those already mentioned, are Lord Lothian, Lord Londonderry, Mr Geoffrey Dawson, the editor of ‘ The Times,’ Mr BarringtonWard, his assistant, a protege of Lady Astor, Sir Neville Henderson, British, Ambassador at Berlin, Lord .Halifax, Sir Edward Grigg, and a whole string of satellites, youngish men who have been pushed towards the centre of the picture by Cliveden influence. The Aga Khan. Mr Cock burn says, also occupies “ an eccentric position close to the Cliveden Set.” Of the members of the Government, Sir Samuel Hoarc and Sir John Simon have both been drawn within the orbit of the Astor star. It was at Cliveden, according to Mr Cockburn, that the famous visit of Lord Halifax to Hitler was arranged, the preliminaries being air trips by Lords Lothian and Londonderry to and from Berlin to pave the way by chats with General Goering. Air Chamberlain was persuaded to assent by advice from Sir Kingsley Wood, bis election adviser, that the sooner the Government went to the country the better, and that removal of the menace of war would be a good drawing card. “ Appeasement with Germany ” was to j be Plank No. 1. The plan temporarily | fouled on Mr Eden’s stubborn resist- 1 ance, and the Cliveden Sot, surveying the wreckage, began to look round for the wrecker. ROLE OF VANSITTART. He was found in the person of Sir Vansittnrt, then Permanent Under-Secrotary of Foreign Affairs and since January 1 chief diplomatic adviser to a Government which has . fallen under the domination of the , Cliveden Set which, Air Cockburn remarks, Sir Robert heartily detests. He detests it, he writes, “ with an active personal loathing,” but since lie presents a body of opinion which also has difficulty in associating with the Soviet Union, he and his friends fall back ’ “ on the apparently futile pursuit of other means of enfeebling the menacing power of the Third Reich, notably the attempt to detach Italy from ibe famous axis. ... The only result to date (this was written some time ago) has been the successful blackmailing of 'Britain by Alussolini, who has

secured a series of concessions and friendly approaches from the London Government solely on the strength of the idea that these will eventually lure him out of his association with .Berlin. Kach new concession, by raising his value in Berlin and offering to the world an apparent demonstration of his power, has served so far only to strengthen the Berliu-Rome association.”-