Item 1 - Letter from Lord Midleton to Edwin Montagu

34 Portland Place, W.1.—Is sorry that what he said in the House should have disturbed Montagu in his travels. [He had apparently referred to criticisms of the India Office made by Montagu before he was made Secretary of State.] The reports Montagu received must have conveyed a different impression from the actual words of his speech. He admits that he was surprised that a man of Montagu’s calibre and experience should have criti-cised the India Office and the Indian Government so heavily, and believes that he would not now suggest that the Secretary of State should be more amenable to the Commons, which is a poor judge of Indian affairs. But he guarded himself against the suggestion that Montagu had any idea of becoming Secretary when he made the speech, and points out that it might be as-sumed from his appointment to that post not long afterwards that he had been sent there to give effect to the views he expressed. It was for this reason that the called the speech into question. Emphasises his desire to remain on friendly terms with Montagu and to co-operate with the Government. He has spent six months trying to assuage the situation in Ireland, but the old feuds have broken out again.