Canada’s First World War leader, Sir Robert Borden, was in the U.K. on this date in 1918 to confer with British and Empire leaders as the Allied war effort continued. I’ll let Borden, via his private diary, describe his day.
“Discussed Grand Trunk (Railway) negotiations with (his cabinet colleagues who had accompanied him to England). Then at noon to War Com. Debated withdrawal of divisions from Palestine and finally on (British PM David Lloyd George’s) suggestion adopted a compromise. Then went into the general question of leadership and organization… Prepared during afternoon for this evening's speech. At 6.30 to House of Lords. Lord Chancellor and Speaker presented Black Rod and I replied. Supper followed and Lloyd George proposed health of overseas colleagues. I spoke first and was well received, spoke for half an hour.”
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.