4.8.39.

Foreign & General
1. French-Brit. military mission leaving tomorrow on slow liner which will take a week to reach Leningrad. The “Week” suggests that the move is not intended seriously. Quotations from Finnish papers & Swedish Foreign Minister’s speech suggest that Baltic States are genuinely nervous. Daily Telegraph [a]; Manchester Guardian Weekly [b]; The Week, 2.8.39
2. Germany said to be considering transference of Slovakia from Hungary in order to detach the latter from Poland. Said also to be systematically depleting Slovakia of timber, foodstuffs & machinery. Manchester Guardian Weekly. Given reference number 3 for 2 [c]
Social
1. Mander M.P. (Lib.) declares Anglo-German Fellowship a pro-German organization & asks whether Home Sec. Can suppress it. Hoare replies unable to do anything unless an organization breaks the law. Daily Telegraph [d]
Party Politics
1. Labour won Brecon & Radnor by 2500 majority. Labour vote rose about 750, Gov.t vote dropped about 4000, & total poll dropped. Daily Telegraph [e] [3.8.39]
Miscellaneous
1. Albatross Press arranging for publication of my last book require excision of certain (though not all) unfriendly references to Hitler. Say they are obliged to do this as their books circulate largely in Germany. Also excision of a passage about a page suggesting that war is imminent. F. Personal[1].

[a] [b] [c] [d] [e]
[1] Unidentified. Peter Davison

4.8.39.

Raining most of day, with sunny intervals, windy. Ground now very sodden, everything growing very fast. Lifted some more early potatoes (about 3½months). Not many on each root. Saw the lost hen again this morning. Mrs A. says she has seen her several mornings & thinks she is in the thick bushes up the west end of the field. She occasionally comes out to eat, usually in the very early morning. The trouble is that a fox or dog may get her before she has finished brooding.
13 eggs (3 small).

3.8.39.

Unbroken rain from early this morning till about 8pm. One or two dahlias now in flower. Examining yesterday one of the large black slugs common at this time of year (about 4” long when extended) noticed that the curious holes they have a little way behind the head opens & shuts more or less rhythmically, & has inside whitish tissue like sago pudding. Possibly this is their breathing hole?
Some oats cut, barley mostly ripe & looks very good, no wheat ripe.
Toadflax in flower. Only one or two plums on the wild plum tree.
Gave M. her worm powder, with great difficulty, having kept her more or less without food all day.
12 eggs (1 small – 1 pullet is now laying larger eggs.)

2.8.39.

Most of day overcast & rather chilly. Only weeding etc.
12 eggs (2 pullets?). Sold 30 @ 2/6 score.

2.8.39.

Foreign & General
1. Announced today that ration cards are already printed & ready. Daily Telegraph [a]
2. Chamberlain’s speech broadcast throughout the U.S.S.R. Daily Telegraph [b]
3. Number of Ukrainian leaders arrested in Poland. Daily Telegraph [c]
Social
1. Labour MPs’ complaints in Parliament about conditions in militia turn upon such things as militiamen sleeping 8 in a tent. Daily Telegraph [d]
2. Appears that German Jewish refugees are settling in great numbers in certain parts of London, eg. Golders Green, & buying houses which they have plenty of money to do. Private (C.W.)[1]
Party Politics
1. Rumours of quarrels among Spanish refugee higher-ups in Paris over money & disagreements between Negrin & Prieto. Private (R.R.)[2]
2. Col. Wedgwood’s Catholic Constituents (to number 5000, mostly working-class) in Newcastle under Lyne,° have memorialized stating that they will vote against him. Private (C.W.)

[a] [b] [c] [d]

[1] Probably Cyril Wright, a friend of Orwell’s and Douglas Moyle’s from their service in Spain.
[2] Either Orwell’s friend Richard Rees or Reginald Reynolds (1905-1958), journalist and author, Quaker and pacifist, who supported the non-Communist Republicans in Spain and was a brilliant speaker for the ILP. Peter Davison

1.8.39.

Foreign & General
1. Military mission probably leaving for Moscow this week. Leader (Admiral Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax) took part in mission to Tsarist Russia just before the Great War. Daily Telegraph [a]
2. Polish Gov.t taking economic sanctions against Danzig amounting to refusal to import products of certain factories. Daily Telegraph [b]
3. British authorities apparently agreeing to hand over the 4 Chinese alleged terrorists hiding in the Tientsin concession. Daily Telegraph [c]
Social
1. Number of unemployed for July about 1 1/4 million[1], 1/2 million less than same period in 1938. Total number in insured employment close on 13 million, more than 1/2 million more than a year ago. Daily Telegraph [d]
[1] 100, 000 less than estimate of a month previously [Orwell’s note]
2. In first 34,000 militia men° called up only 58 absented themselves without leave. Daily Telegraph [e]
3. Prohibition inaugurated in Bombay Presidency. Daily Telegraph [f]
Party Politics
1. Queipo de Llano appointed chief of Spanish military mission to Italy. Daily Telegraph [g]
2. Socialist Correspondence claims that Labour members who voted against I.R.A. bill are being threatened with discipline by Parliamentary Group. Socialist Correspondence, 29.7.39
3. P.O.U.M. Youth Group managing to issue leaflets. Socialist Correspondence, 29.7.39
Miscellaneous
1. New method of bracken destruction by mowing plus sodium chlorate successfully extirpates bracken using only 20 lb. of s.c. per acre. Daily Telegraph [h]; Farmer & Stockbreeder
2. This year’s European wheat production, excluding U.S.S.R., estimated at 44 million metric tons, slightly above average but 14% less than last year’s. Daily Telegraph

[a] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f] [g] [h]

1.8.39.

Warm. A few drops of rain. Pricked[1] out wallflowers (yellow) & sweet williams. Calculate roughly that each row of peas (about 12 yards) will yield 15-20 lb. Started new cwt. Of wheat & kibbled maize today. This has to do for 23 adult fowls & 8 pullets (almost full grown). At 11/2oz per bird per day should last till about September 8th.
10 eggs (3 small – 3 pullets laying now.)

[1] Substituted for ‘Planted’ which is crossed out.

31.7.39.

Most of day overcast, heavy showers & thunder about mid-day. Weeded onions. Pricked[1] out 35 carnations. The wallflowers planted on 11.7.39 about 3” to 4” high. One hollyhock which is coming into flower is white. There are therefore 4 colours (dark red, light red, pale pink, white) from the original dark seed. Peas are very good, much more than we can eat.
Last cwt. of corn finished this morning. Begun on 4.7.39, should by calculation have lasted to about August 10th, but the 8 pullets have been fed on it for the last 3 weeks, also to some extent the 6 next chicks. Full-o-pep bought at same time only about 2/3 gone.
11 eggs [2] (3 pullets? Evidently at least 1 pullet is now laying.)

[1] ‘Planted’ crossed out; ‘Pricked’ inserted.
[2] ‘8 eggs’ was originally written and changed to ’11 eggs’; presumably amended after the three pullets’ eggs were found. Peter Davison

30.7.39

A little rain during last night. Today hot. Canterbury bell seeds germinating. Pulled first carrots today. Earwigs now very troublesome.
10 eggs (2 small).

30.7.39.

Foreign & General
1. Seems clear that Parliament will adjourn as usual with no previous arrangements for recall before October. Sunday Times [a]
2. There are now 60,000 German troops (ie. including police, storm troopers etc.) in Danzig. Sunday Times [b]
3. Seemingly authoritative article in S. Times states that in case of war Jugo-Slavia will certainly be neutral but more likely to be pro-ally if the Russian pact goes through & the Croats are given the degree of autonomy they want. Population of 14 m. includes 5 m. Serbs, 5 m. Croats, ½m. Hungarians, ½m. Germans, the rest presumably Slovenes. Pan-Slav feeling strong among the poorer classes. Sunday Times [c]
Social
1. One of Daladier’s decrees sets up separate propaganda dep.t under P.M.’s control. Working hours of civil service raised from 40 to 45. France’s gold reserves now said to be second only to that of U.S.A. Gold holding of Bank of France is £560 m.  Sunday Times [d]
2. I.R.A. suspects already being deported in fairly large numbers (about 20 hitherto). Sunday Times [e]; Daily Telegraph, 29.7.39 [f]

[a] [b] [c] [d] [e] [f]