War nerves

 Saturday, January 30th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

Meeting of T.E. Committee today at Colchester. Usual sort of bureaucratic talking shop. Lot of middle-aged men who want to be doing something for the war effort; or at least to be seen to be doing something. I doubt there is anything they would be able to agree on. Personally I favour a sort of benign autocracy as the only way to get things done in the absence of military discipline. And even military discipline doesn't seem to count for all that much out here. A gloomy prospect I fear.

Richmond, of G. and J. Weir (Glasgow), came this morning and is staying until tomorrow. We got on well when I was in Scotland, and he still seems a decent sort. This afternoon he gave me all particulars of slacking by members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in war contracts. His firm is making shells, mines, and submarine engines. He said there was not a great deal of money in it, but capitalists always say that as they make their way to the bank. He said that the Contracts Supervision Department of the War Office was saving enormous sums. I think he meant they are spending less than they expected, but the cost to the Exchequer must be enormous. Taxes are bound to go up after the war if not before. 

Richmond told me that a submarine had attacked Barrow. This must have been the same vessel that is reported to have sunk several steamers in the Irish Sea last weekend. Apparently the submarine appeared off the coast in broad daylight and was thought at first to be British. Only when it opened fire on the coast was the real situation recognised. Made me think how anxious people afloat must be because of such an unseen enemy. I would think twice before considering an Atlantic crossing. And what a target a big ship like the Lusitania would be. Richmond thinks this is the start of a new German strategy to 'starve' Britain by cutting off supplies from the Colonies and America. The problem they have is in identifying which ships are British, but perhaps they won't be too concerned about that.