| Description | Letters from E. [Wood, Edward Frederick Lindley (1881-1959) 1st Earl of Halifax, statesman], Foreign Office, Whitehall, London to Neville Chamberlain; and copies of letters from Chamberlain to Halifax. See NC7/11/33/132 for another letter from Halifax dated 1940.
The file contains the following items:
/74: Letter regarding a report from D'Arcy Osborne [British Minister to the Vatican] and about the possibility of an 'internal disruption of Germany' and negotiations with Germany over Austria and the Sudetenland following such a 'disruption', and regarding the French claim to the Rhine and unity with France. Halifax comments that 'this may of course all be worth nothing: but I hanker after a German revolution!'. 13 February ('40' annotated in pencil).
/75: Letter regarding the wording of a telegram sent to Sweden. 7 ('April 1940' annotated in pencil).
/76: Copy of letter from Chamberlain thanking Halifax for his note. 10 May.
/77-78: Letter from (M... Darling?), Rosebank, Kelso to Halifax regarding Chamberlain's resignation and broadcast; with note from Halifax forwarding the letter. 15-16 May.
/79: Letter regarding Chamberlain's health and his return after his operation; and reporting on current news from Westminster including about people being pleased at the coup in Chad and the Cameroons in favour of De Gaulle and Beaverbrook's reaction to damage to aircraft production. 28 August.
/80: Letter regarding: Chamberlain's return to work after his operation; a conflict between Archibald Sinclair and Lord Beaverbook over Sinclair's air training scheme and about the compromise reached. 30 August.
/81: Letter regarding air raids on London; the weather being unfavourable for a German invasion of Britain; and 'Menace' having 'gone off'. 18 September.
/82: Copy of letter from Chamberlain regarding his poor health with a 'terrible catalogue of small miseries'; his offer of resignation as Lord President of the Council. 23 September.
/83: Letter regarding Chamberlain's poor health, his difficulty in sleeping at 11 Downing Street, about Baron Horder [Chamberlain's doctor] having said that Chamberlain could return to work if he had sleep and proper rest and that alternative accommodation had been examined where it was thought he may be able to get this; failure of the British attack at Dakar; air raids in London. 25 September.
/84: Letter regarding Chamberlain's resignation having been accepted by Winston Churchill and in appreciation of Chamberlain. 30 September.
/85: Copy of letter from Chamberlain regarding his resignation being accepted; in appreciation of Halifax; approving of Churchill's changes to the Cabinet; and asking Halifax to visit him. 2 October.
/86: Letter regarding Chamberlain's resignation. 5 October.
/87: Copy of letter from Chamberlain regarding him having put off Halifax's visit due to Chamberlain's poor health and about arranging it for a later date as soon as he can manage it. 8 October.
/88: Letter in sympathy for Chamberlain's poor health; regarding a Conservative Party meeting at which a resolution of thanks to Chamberlain was passed on his resignation as Leader of the Conservative Party and at which tributes were paid to Chamberlain. A copy of the agenda for the meeting is also included. 9 October.
/89: Copy of letter from Chamberlain regarding the Conservative Party meeting; commenting on events in the war; and regarding air raid attacks near where Chamberlain was staying. 11 October.
/90: Letter of sympathy; says he would like to see Chamberlain whenever Chamberlain is happy for a visit; and regarding a lull in the air raids on London. 25 October.
/91: Copy of letter from Chamberlain regarding his health and receiving a visit from Halifax; and commenting on the Italian aggression on Greece. 28 October.
/92: Letter declining invitation to Chequers; and regarding Philip Chetwode having said that Winston Churchill was drinking too much and suggesting that Chamberlain might talk to him about this. Not dated, marked 'among letters of 1940' by Anne Chamberlain.
/93: Letter regarding a draft by Winston Churchill of his speech the next day at Manchester, part of which Halifax asked Churchill to drop as 'it would only make the mischief worse' [after Churchill's unauthorised comments in a broadcast urging the neutrals to join the Allied side]. Not dated, marked 'among letters of 1940' by Anne Chamberlain. The content of the letter indicates it dates to 26 January 1940.
/94: Letter regarding: Halifax's meeting with Clement Attlee and Arthur Greenwood [of the Labour Party] in which matters regarding the war and foreign policy were discussed including about South East Europe, their suspicion of 'Baku projects', their pleasure at Britain and France's joint declaration and them altering their position regarding Norwegian territorial waters; meetings regarding the Press; and about lack of information yet received from Sumner Welles [who visited Berlin, Rome, Paris and London on behalf of the American President, in an attempt to seek a basis for a peace settlement] except a telegram 'that Brenner had made no change'. Not dated, marked 'among letters of 1940' by Anne Chamberlain. The content of the letter suggests it is dated to March 1940.
/95: Letter thanking Chamberlain for 'a lesson in public spirit'. Not dated, marked 'among letters of 1940' by Anne Chamberlain. |