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Family matters, especially sons Tom in Flanders and Charles in the navy and other children at school, casualties among friends' children but little of the war, also other family matters, especially the failing health of Addis's brother William, dinners, theatre and concert visits, reading and work, especially visits to the Foreign Office. Written by Addis, Lady Addis and occasionally children.
JANUARY Discussion at the Foreign Office on purchase of rifles in China; St. Felix College, daughter Robina's school at Southwold, Suffolk, moved inland, a panic measure in Addis's opinion.
FEBRUARY Visits Foreign Office to discuss Japanese activity in Peking and German firms in China.
APRIL Addis serving on the wheat traffic committee; his ideas on trade with Germany adopted.
JUNE Family visit to Scotland; and speaks at centenary dinner of Trustee Savings Bank, Perth; interviewed by War Trade Committee; daughter Betty sewing sand-bags for the front; Addis playing with his younger children 'skipping in front of the house. If only the City could see me, tails flying, jumping over the rope.' 30.
AUGUST Family holiday at Cuckfield, Sussex.
SEPTEMBER Import arranged of £2,000,000 worth of rifles and machine guns from China. 'Good stroke of business for both Govts and also for the HSBC.' 15.
OCTOBER Meeting with Hsi of the Chinese legation; Addis unaware of air raid on London despite being in the City at a concert.
NOVEMBER Attending lectures on War Finance by the economist J.M. Keynes and by social reformer Sidney Webb at the Fabian Society.
DECEMBER Examined at the Foreign Office over the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) attitude to Germans, 'no proof - but unpleasant', 2; sudden death of Jackson, Addis arranging funeral.
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