Winston
Churchill to Oswald Frewen
April 6, 1913
My Dear Oswald,
Many thanks for your letter. I am always very glad to hear from
you.
If you think the British Empire is likely to fall into a state
of general decay, the best steps which you can take to prevent
or delay that catastrophe are to concentrate your whole attention
on your duty as a naval officer, to avoid allowing your mind to
stray into political channels, particularly into Party political
channels, and, above all, to preserve a calm and sober view of
men and things, avoiding disproportionate judgments and extravagant
language.
The question of whether the present policy of respecting the independence
and integrity of Persia (which is not part of the British Empire)
should give place to a direct Anglo Russian partition of the country
is a very large one; and it ought not to be determined by local
incidents of the kind you mention in your letter.
When are you expecting to come home? It would be very nice to
see you again. I suppose you will not do more than 2 years in the
Gulf, so perhaps you will still find me here on your return.
Yours affect.
W
[Handwritten by Oswald]:
May 5th
You will fancy from my letter to you that I was rude to Winston,
but here is his--you will gather that I wasn't really! Nor in my
reply to this one. But he is dead wrong & is wrecking the Empire,
apparently shutting his eyes willfully to the (pact?). I had thought
better of him.
Your letter of Apr. 13th about (or…?), just before
going to chicken's, just come. Will answer it by next mail--this just
going. But apparently you will be, by now, in America. I am glad;
you will like it. Best love.
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