Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft
Encyclopedia
Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft (22 June 1881 – 7 December 1947) was a British
Conservative Party
politician
.
in Ware, Hertfordshire, England. He was the son of Richard Benyon Croft (1843 – 1912) a naval officer and a major benefactor of the Richard Hale School
, and Anne Elizabeth (1843 – 1921). His father held the office of High Sheriff of Hertfordshire
in 1892. He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of Hertfordshire and held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Hertfordshire.
He was the grandson of Reverend Richard Croft, rector at Hillingdon
, Middlesex, England, and Charlotte Leonora Russell. He was the great grandson of Dr. Sir Richard Croft, 6th Baronet and Margaret Denman, daughter of Dr. Thomas Denman
and Elizabeth Brodie and the sister of Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman
who became Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
.
His mother was the daughter of Henry Page of Ware, Hertfordshire, England. He was an astute businessman and had built up a very prosperous grain trade and a malster business. He left his large fortune including Fanhams Hall, a large country house and estate located in Ware, to his daughter Anne and her husband, Richard.
, until the death of his housemaster, then at Shrewsbury
and finally at Trinity Hall
, where he was a Volunteer and an oarsman. Upon leaving Cambridge
Croft joined the family business.
Chamberlain
ites who organised a Protectionist movement in Hertfordshire
. In the general election of 1906
Croft stood at Lincoln
against a Conservative Free Trade
r but failed to win the seat. In January 1910 however he was elecetd as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Christchurch
as an anti-German
Protectionist. His contribution to the tariff reform campaign before the Great War
has been described as "immense".
In the House of Commons he was a prominent advocate of food taxation, Imperial Preference
and as a supporter of Ulster
against Home Rule. Croft was with Viscount Castlereagh
at Mount Stewart
when Ulster prepared for war in 1914. When the Great War broke out he went to France
with his territorial battalion
of the Hertfordshire Regiment. In 1915 he was the first territorial to command a brigade
in the field but his reports to politicians back home about the conduct of his commanders aroused controversy and so in 1916 he was recalled, where he returned to the Commons.
In co-operation with Sir Richard Cooper, because of what they perceived as the "discrediting of the old party system", they founded the National Party
in September 1917. They were also angered at the bestowal of honours on those they believed did not deserve them and that hundreds of enemy aliens should be at liberty in Britain when they were possibly endangering British soldiers' lives by passing information to the enemy. The National Party aimed for: "Complete victory in the war and after the war"; robust diplomacy along with increased armaments; the "eradication of German influence"; ending the sale of honours; maximum production along with fair wages and fair profit; safeguard
ing of industry and agriculture; Empire unity through mutual and reciprocal aid in development of the natural resources of the Empire; a social policy that will ensure a "patriotic race"; and demobilization and reconstruction.
At the 1918 election
Croft was elected as the National candidate for Bournemouth
, a seat he would hold until 1940. In his autobiography Croft claimed that
In February 1919 Croft denounced H. H. Asquith
, Reginald McKenna
, Walter Runciman
, Arthur Henderson
and Ramsay MacDonald
as "the worse type of pacifist cranks": "It is very delightful to have been able to mention their names in this House. These men...were not defeated at the polls but squelched. Why did they rally to the proposal? [i.e. the placing of conquered German colonies under League of Nations
mandate]. Because they saw it was unnational". When Coalition Liberal MP Alexander Lyle-Samuel
made a speech criticising reparations from Germany and supported the League of Nations, Croft claimed that although Lyle-Samuel sat for a Suffolk constituency, he might well sit for Wurtemburg or Bavaria
in Germany. The Gladstonian liberal, Ronald Buchanan McCallum, said Croft "was the authentic voice of triumphant, nationalist Toryism...[he] represented the crude, philistine spirit of John Bull
ish nationalism. He was speaking for millions".
Along with Cooper, Croft was prominent in the campaign against the Prime Minister
David Lloyd George
in July 1922 for selling honours.
Croft wrote articles for the National Review
and doubted the effectiveness of the League of Nations. Croft was strongly opposed to the National Government's Government of India Act 1935
, which granted further self-government to India, and joined Sir Winston Churchill
and the India Defence League
in opposing the Act. Croft was also associated with Churchill in urging greater rearmament in face of the German threat. In June 1938 Croft wrote a series of articles for the Weekly Review, arguing for rearmament. However, unlike Churchill, Croft supported the Munich Agreement
, believing that the incorporation of the Sudetenland into Germany was inevitable and that Britain could not prevent it militarily due to insufficient British rearmament.
Croft's daughter Diana married in 1936 the German lawyer and painter Fred Uhlman
, a clear misalliance in the eyes of Croft.
as Under-Secretary of State for War
, a post he would hold until July 1945. Croft in his memoirs said of The Blitz
: "Every class of Londoner responded defiantly to the long, long period of attack and from the Royal Family to the Coster or Dustman all vied in showing their contempt of danger and sustained each other through bomb raids, “doodles” and rockets to the end...London is a grand city with a big heart".
Croft recognised the need to improve morale in the Army and wrote on 12 August 1940 of the need for education and entertainment to be provided to servicemen on a big scale: travelling cinemas, technical classes, correspondence courses, and morale boasting stories of the Empire and regimental traditions.A Director of Education was appointed and by the winter of 1943-44 there were more than 110,000 courses, lectures and classes being provided.
On 4 February 1942 Croft said in the Lords:
The reporting of this in the press attracted ridicule and accusations that Croft was issuing pikes to the Home Guard and that he was "pike-minded". The Liberal Nationalist MP Sir Henry Fildes
said in the Commons on 11 March:
To which Leo Amery wrote in reply:
In a speech at Watford
during the 1945 general election
campaign Croft called the Labour Party Chairman Harold Laski
, who was Jewish, "that fine old English labour man". Churchill wrote to Croft on 20 June: "I see you used an expression in your speech the other day about Laski that he was “a fine representative of the old British working class”, or words to that effect. Pray be careful, whatever the temptation, not to be drawn into any campaign that might be represented as anti-semitism".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Early life and family
He was born at Fanhams HallFanhams Hall
Fanhams Hall is an 18th century Queen Anne House-style hotel Ware, Hertfordshire in the south east of England.-History:Fanhams Hall is noteworthy for being the birthplace and home of the first Lord Croft, Sir Henry Page-Croft, who was the youngest son of Richard Hale School benefactor Richard...
in Ware, Hertfordshire, England. He was the son of Richard Benyon Croft (1843 – 1912) a naval officer and a major benefactor of the Richard Hale School
Richard Hale School
Richard Hale School is a boys' school located in Hertford, Hertfordshire, in the south east of England. In the 2007 – 2008 academic year the school had over 1,000 pupils, including students attending the optional sixth form, which is also open to girls....
, and Anne Elizabeth (1843 – 1921). His father held the office of High Sheriff of Hertfordshire
High Sheriff of Hertfordshire
The High Sheriff of Hertfordshire was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years...
in 1892. He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of Hertfordshire and held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Hertfordshire.
He was the grandson of Reverend Richard Croft, rector at Hillingdon
Hillingdon
Hillingdon is a suburban area within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated 14.2 miles west of Charing Cross.Much of Hillingdon is represented as the Hillingdon East ward within the local authority, Hillingdon Council...
, Middlesex, England, and Charlotte Leonora Russell. He was the great grandson of Dr. Sir Richard Croft, 6th Baronet and Margaret Denman, daughter of Dr. Thomas Denman
Thomas Denman (physician)
Thomas Denman, the elder, M.D. was an English physician. He was the second son of John Denman , an apothecary born at Bakewell, Derbyshire, on 27 June 1733. After a career in naval medicine he made a considerable amount of money in midwifery...
and Elizabeth Brodie and the sister of Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman
Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman
Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman PC KC was a British lawyer, judge and politician. He served as Lord Chief Justice between 1832 and 1850.-Background and education:Denman was born in London, the son of Dr Thomas Denman...
who became Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
.
His mother was the daughter of Henry Page of Ware, Hertfordshire, England. He was an astute businessman and had built up a very prosperous grain trade and a malster business. He left his large fortune including Fanhams Hall, a large country house and estate located in Ware, to his daughter Anne and her husband, Richard.
Education
He was educated first at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, until the death of his housemaster, then at Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and finally at Trinity Hall
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, where he was a Volunteer and an oarsman. Upon leaving Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
Croft joined the family business.
Member of Parliament
He became an active participant of the 'Confederacy' of young gentryGentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain was an influential British politician and statesman. Unlike most major politicians of the time, he was a self-made businessman and had not attended Oxford or Cambridge University....
ites who organised a Protectionist movement in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. In the general election of 1906
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
Croft stood at Lincoln
Lincoln (UK Parliament constituency)
Lincoln is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
against a Conservative Free Trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
r but failed to win the seat. In January 1910 however he was elecetd as the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Christchurch
Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Christchurch is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Centred on the town of Christchurch in Dorset, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
as an anti-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Protectionist. His contribution to the tariff reform campaign before the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
has been described as "immense".
In the House of Commons he was a prominent advocate of food taxation, Imperial Preference
Imperial Preference
Imperial Preference was a proposed system of reciprocally-levelled tariffs or free trade agreements between the dominions and colonies within the British Empire...
and as a supporter of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
against Home Rule. Croft was with Viscount Castlereagh
Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry, KG, MVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Stewart until 1884 and Viscount Castlereagh between 1884 and 1915, was an Anglo-Irish peer and had careers in both Irish and British politics...
at Mount Stewart
Mount Stewart
Mount Stewart is an 18th-century house and garden in County Down, Northern Ireland, owned by the National Trust. Situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey, it was the home of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of...
when Ulster prepared for war in 1914. When the Great War broke out he went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with his territorial battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the Hertfordshire Regiment. In 1915 he was the first territorial to command a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in the field but his reports to politicians back home about the conduct of his commanders aroused controversy and so in 1916 he was recalled, where he returned to the Commons.
In co-operation with Sir Richard Cooper, because of what they perceived as the "discrediting of the old party system", they founded the National Party
National Party (UK, 1917)
The National Party was a short-lived British political party created in August 1917 as a right-wing split from the Conservative Party.-Formation:...
in September 1917. They were also angered at the bestowal of honours on those they believed did not deserve them and that hundreds of enemy aliens should be at liberty in Britain when they were possibly endangering British soldiers' lives by passing information to the enemy. The National Party aimed for: "Complete victory in the war and after the war"; robust diplomacy along with increased armaments; the "eradication of German influence"; ending the sale of honours; maximum production along with fair wages and fair profit; safeguard
Safeguard
In the technical language of the World Trade Organization system, a safeguard is used to restrain international trade in order to protect a certain home industry from foreign competition. A member may take a “safeguard” action In the technical language of the World Trade Organization (WTO)...
ing of industry and agriculture; Empire unity through mutual and reciprocal aid in development of the natural resources of the Empire; a social policy that will ensure a "patriotic race"; and demobilization and reconstruction.
At the 1918 election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
Croft was elected as the National candidate for Bournemouth
Bournemouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bournemouth is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. The seaside resort was created as a parliamentary borough in 1918 and the seat existed until it was divided in 1950...
, a seat he would hold until 1940. In his autobiography Croft claimed that
We emerged from the world war in 1918 stronger than at any time in our history. On the sea our fleet was supreme and unchallengeable; we had a mighty army such as we had never possessed before; in the air our power had reached its zenith and was probably the largest, best manned and most finely equipped fighting force in that sphere...Great Britain...proceeded to go “international” and our great country, which had been saved by the valour and patriotism of our people, was deliberately encouraged to rely for its safety upon a hotch-potch collection of small states embodied in what was never a world League of Nations but a League of some nations based not on defensive force but on pious resolutions which were endorsed by ceaseless chatter at many conferences.
In February 1919 Croft denounced H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
, Reginald McKenna
Reginald McKenna
Reginald McKenna was a British banker and Liberal politician. He notably served as Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer during the premiership of H. H. Asquith.-Background and education:...
, Walter Runciman
Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford
Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford PC was a prominent Liberal, later National Liberal politician in the United Kingdom from the 1900s until the 1930s.-Background:...
, Arthur Henderson
Arthur Henderson
Arthur Henderson was a British iron moulder and Labour politician. He was the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and he served three short terms as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1908–1910, 1914–1917 and 1931-1932....
and Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
as "the worse type of pacifist cranks": "It is very delightful to have been able to mention their names in this House. These men...were not defeated at the polls but squelched. Why did they rally to the proposal? [i.e. the placing of conquered German colonies under League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
mandate]. Because they saw it was unnational". When Coalition Liberal MP Alexander Lyle-Samuel
Alexander Lyle-Samuel
Alexander Lyle-Samuel was a businessman from Birmingham and Liberal member of the House of Commons. He represented the seat of Eye in East Suffolk from 1918 until 1923 and was involved in a difficult court case when he was forced to defend himself against a series of allegations made by a defeated...
made a speech criticising reparations from Germany and supported the League of Nations, Croft claimed that although Lyle-Samuel sat for a Suffolk constituency, he might well sit for Wurtemburg or Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in Germany. The Gladstonian liberal, Ronald Buchanan McCallum, said Croft "was the authentic voice of triumphant, nationalist Toryism...[he] represented the crude, philistine spirit of John Bull
John Bull
John Bull is a national personification of Britain in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.-Origin:...
ish nationalism. He was speaking for millions".
Along with Cooper, Croft was prominent in the campaign against the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
in July 1922 for selling honours.
Croft wrote articles for the National Review
National Review (London)
The National Review was founded in 1883 by the English writers Alfred Austin and William Courthope.It was launched as a platform for the views of the British Conservative Party, its masthead incorporating a quotation of the former Conservative Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli:Under editor Leopold...
and doubted the effectiveness of the League of Nations. Croft was strongly opposed to the National Government's Government of India Act 1935
Government of India Act 1935
The Government of India Act 1935 was originally passed in August 1935 , and is said to have been the longest Act of Parliament ever enacted by that time. Because of its length, the Act was retroactively split by the Government of India Act 1935 into two separate Acts:# The Government of India...
, which granted further self-government to India, and joined Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and the India Defence League
India Defence League
The India Defence League was a British pressure group founded in June 1933 dedicated to keeping India within the British Empire.It grew from the parliamentary India Defence Committee and was founded with the support of 10 Privy Councillors, 28 peers, 57 MPs, 2 former Governors and 3 former...
in opposing the Act. Croft was also associated with Churchill in urging greater rearmament in face of the German threat. In June 1938 Croft wrote a series of articles for the Weekly Review, arguing for rearmament. However, unlike Churchill, Croft supported the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
, believing that the incorporation of the Sudetenland into Germany was inevitable and that Britain could not prevent it militarily due to insufficient British rearmament.
Croft's daughter Diana married in 1936 the German lawyer and painter Fred Uhlman
Fred Uhlman
Fred Uhlman was a German-English writer, painter and lawyer of Jewish origin.-Biography:Fred Uhlman was born in Stuttgart, Germany, into a prosperous middle-class Jewish family...
, a clear misalliance in the eyes of Croft.
Under-Secretary of State for War
In 1940 Croft was ennobled and appointed by Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
as Under-Secretary of State for War
Under-Secretary of State for War
The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean . In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies...
, a post he would hold until July 1945. Croft in his memoirs said of The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
: "Every class of Londoner responded defiantly to the long, long period of attack and from the Royal Family to the Coster or Dustman all vied in showing their contempt of danger and sustained each other through bomb raids, “doodles” and rockets to the end...London is a grand city with a big heart".
Croft recognised the need to improve morale in the Army and wrote on 12 August 1940 of the need for education and entertainment to be provided to servicemen on a big scale: travelling cinemas, technical classes, correspondence courses, and morale boasting stories of the Empire and regimental traditions.A Director of Education was appointed and by the winter of 1943-44 there were more than 110,000 courses, lectures and classes being provided.
On 4 February 1942 Croft said in the Lords:
There seems to be a feeling abroad that the rifle is essential as a weapon for all the Home Guard, and I should like to remind your Lordships that in the event of invasion in a great part of this country we shall be engaged in fighting of a close character. For instance, in the actual cities, towns and villages the opportunities for using hand grenades against enemy motor cyclists and infantry, and incendiary and high explosive grenades against vehicles of all descriptions will be immense. If every platoon had its trained sections of grenade throwers or bombers there is no doubt that operating from trenches or from windows or doorways, or suddenly emerging round houses and cottages, they would he able to inflict great casualties upon an advancing enemy. If I were organizing an attack—I am afraid this sounds rather absurd from one so aged as myself, but my noble friend Lord Mottistone, who I always feel is so much younger than many of us, would probably bear me out in this—I would rather have trained bombers for fighting in urban areas, and if a bombing attack could be swiftly followed up by cold steel, it would be most effective. If I were a bomber in such a formation—and I think I have thrown most types of bombs that have been used in the Army—I should like to have a pike in order to follow up my bombing attack, especially at night. It is a most effective and silent weapon.
The reporting of this in the press attracted ridicule and accusations that Croft was issuing pikes to the Home Guard and that he was "pike-minded". The Liberal Nationalist MP Sir Henry Fildes
Henry Fildes
Sir Henry Fildes was a Liberal Party, later National Liberal Party) and later still Liberal National Party politician in the United Kingdom...
said in the Commons on 11 March:
Here lies a man who fought the Hun;
He had a pike, the Hun a gun;
When his time came to go aloft,
Whom must he blame? The Hun or Croft?
To which Leo Amery wrote in reply:
Why blame poor Croft who through long years
Preached lack of guns to unwilling ears?
Blame rather in this hour of need
The foolish ears that would not heed.
In a speech at Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
during the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
campaign Croft called the Labour Party Chairman Harold Laski
Harold Laski
Harold Joseph Laski was a British Marxist, political theorist, economist, author, and lecturer, who served as the chairman of the Labour Party during 1945-1946, and was a professor at the LSE from 1926 to 1950....
, who was Jewish, "that fine old English labour man". Churchill wrote to Croft on 20 June: "I see you used an expression in your speech the other day about Laski that he was “a fine representative of the old British working class”, or words to that effect. Pray be careful, whatever the temptation, not to be drawn into any campaign that might be represented as anti-semitism".
Legacy
The Times said of Croft after he died:By his unflagging zeal and faith in the British imperial heritage, he won for himself a distinctive place in political life. Staunch Conservative as he was, he placed service to the imperial ideal at least as high as party loyalty. This enthusiasm and a personality that was attractive as well as forcible made their influence felt in the House of Commons and on the platform. At every opportunity he advocated greater settlement by the British race in the Dominions and the strengthening of the bonds of Empire by every possible means, and he was a recognized if unofficial leader in Parliament of a group sharing his convictions and aspirations. One article in Croft's political creed which he proclaimed long before voluntary National Service was instituted in 1938-39 was that citizens should require the State for guaranteeing the rights of private ownership by engaging in some form of public activity...He was popular at the War Office and still much in request on the public platform, from which he could always put over a point effectively, though party politics suited his style and temperament better than the advocacy of the policy of a coalition. But he continued to sound the patriotic note convincingly, all the more so because he was a completely sincere patriot.
Writings
- H. P. Croft, ‘A citizen army’, in Lord Malmesbury (ed.), The New Order: Studies in Unionist Policy (Francis Griffiths, 1908), pp. 255–268.
- H. P. Croft, The Path of Empire (John Murray, 1912).
- H. P. Croft, Twenty-Two Months Under Fire (John Murray, 1916).
- H. P. Croft, The Crisis: How to Restore Prosperity (1931).
- H. P. Croft, The Salvation of India (1933).
- Sir Henry Page Croft, 1st Baron Croft, My Life of Strife (Hutchinson, 1948).
Further reading
- W. D. Rubinstein, ‘Henry Page Croft and the National Party, 1917–22’, Journal of Contemporary History, 9/1 (1974), pp. 129–48.
- Larry Witherell, Rebel on the Right: Henry Page Croft and the Crisis of British Conservatism, 1903–1914 (University of Delaware Press, 1998).