I went and had half an hour with Eden. He was looking very tired
and worried and I am rather doubtful whether he will be able to
stand the strain of his dual position of Leader of the House of
Commons and Foreign Minister.

The main thing I went to see him about was the question of our
POST-WAR POLITICAL Aims. I told him that considerable progress had
been made in our thinking with regard to the social and economic
problems and I knew of the developments that had taken place in
regard to the Colonial problem, but I had seen nothing dealing
with the question of our aims in connection with Security and
Freedom from Aggression in the post-war world.

I stressed to him that it was essential we should clear our minds
on this issue in view of the amount of thinking which was going on
in Washington on the subject, and in this regard I instanced
Welles' speech of the 17th November [1] and I gave Eden the
information I had obtained from McDougall as a result of his visit
to Washington. [2]

Eden then told me that a lot of thought had been given to the
problem in the Foreign Office where two papers had been prepared.

These he promised to send to me. [3]

Eden told me that he was having some trouble in getting the Prime
Minister to face this question but he was hopeful-they were having
a special Cabinet meeting next Friday to consider the matter.

We then had some discussion round the problem and I stressed to
Eden what a pity it was that the Prime Minister was so opposed to
my being in on these discussions. From this I went on to tell Eden
of some of the difficulties with which I am faced and I told him
frankly that about a month ago I had got to the point where I
really was thinking I could stand it very little longer. I had,
however, decided as a result of conversations with Smuts [4] that
I had got to try and keep going for the present at all events.

Eden then told me that he had his own difficulties with the Prime
Minister, which I can readily believe. He, however, had also been
obviously talking to Smuts who had taken with him very much the
same line as he had with me, that these things were trials and
tribulations we had to put up with.

We then had some talk round the Darlan problem in North Africa [5]
but beyond showing how distasteful the position was to him Eden
had nothing to suggest as to how the problem was eventually to be
solved.

The conversation finished on the note that it was a terrible pity
that there were no people in the War Cabinet from whom Eden could
really get any help.

In the course of the conversation I told Eden the story of the
recent developments in regard to the NINTH DIVISION. The only
point that is worth recording being that Eden expressed his
surprise at the attitude of acquiescence which the Prime Minister
had taken in the Cabinet on Monday.

The impression Eden left on my mind was that he is developing all
the time but basically he has not got the strength for the
position that he is gradually being steered into.

S.M.B.