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The war, especially sons Tom and Charles in the army and navy, Zeppelin raids and casualties among friends, visits to the Foreign Office and suspicions there of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) pro-German sympathies, also children, concert and theatre visits, cycling, reading and riding. Written by Addis, Lady Addis and occasionally daughter Robina.
JANUARY Addis examined by the War Trade Committee on Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) attitude to Germans; to the Foreign Office for meetings about Chinese arms for Russia; son William to Rugby School, Warwickshire.
FEBRUARY Townsend to join Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) London Committee; Addis makes well received speech on colonial policy as affecting supply of business capital continued trouble over Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC)'s alleged pro-German attitude; Addis requested, in confidence, to help the Government obtain silver from India.
MARCH £800,000 silver sold to the Government, 'A good deal for both sides, as I think'. 2; illness of colleague Smith. 'I fear he is a sick man and that I cannot count much longer on the counsel of my dear old friend', 4; refuses request to help finance Common Sense a new weekly paper; writing on the financial condition of China for a book to be published by the Admiralty; to Foreign Office for meetings about excluding Germany from the Five Power Consortium; meeting with Willard Straight, Vice President of the American International Corporation, indicating renewed American interest in China.
APRIL Continued Consortium meetings.
JULY Holiday with wife in Scotland and with family at Cuckfield, Sussex.
AUGUST Persuades brother William to resign his living of All Saints, Knightsbridge, London.
OCTOBER Meets Tung Fang-huz, President of the Chinese Students' Union. 'I wish I could see more grip in Young China. They seem to get drunk on phrases - to acquire knowledge without assimilating it', 3; attends lectures by Sidney Webb at the London School of Economics on the economic war, 'His fluency is amazing and he knows a lot. But I believe his knowledge would be more effective were it less facile.' 18.
NOVEMBER Resignation of Meyer from London Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) following anti-German feeling; Addis elected to the Council of the Institute of Bankers; makes speech on free trade and writes article on a proposed British trade bank for the Economic Journal; death of mother-in-law. 13.
DECEMBER Son Richard, (Dick), born. 1.
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