ECONOMISTS' PAPERS
Series Two: The Papers of John Neville Keynes, 1864-1917, from Cambridge University Library

Extracts from Diaries

From Diary for 1872 (page 11):

"Why do people write journals? and what excuse shall I have for writing one? They may write them for their own pleasure or for the pleasure of others, since I think I may safely assume as an axiom that they are written in order that they may be read, though such a happy consummation may be attained but by a few…"

From entry for 11 September 1885:

"Maynard is becoming a regular chatter box, but not all that he says is intelligible. I am trying to teach him to count. He understands "one" and "two", but after that comes "two four" and he refuses to grasp further distinctions…"

Two brief entries from Diary for 1897:

page 203:
"Maynard was bracketed first in Mathematics and seems practically to have gained his scholarship upon his mathematics…"

page 273:
"A capital letter from Maynard telling us just what we wanted to know. He says he is getting on very well and feels quite settled down…"

From entry for 9 August 1915 (page 221):

"Geoffrey is now with the Gunners. It is, he says, an interesting variation to be really up among the noise of it. He is now quite away from other members of the R.A.M.C. "I live in a dug out with another officer, about ten feet square with a bank of earth as a bed; with plenty of rugs it is none so uncomfortable. The guns are pretty thick round about here, and the Germans get strafed every morning about 2.30, when the noise is appalling." "

From entry for 9 September 1915 (page 252):

"Terrifying air raid last night. Maynard writes at 11p.m. – "As I write, zeppelin bombs are dropping all round, about one every minute and a half I should say, and the flashes and explosions are most terrifying. I am much more frightened than I thought I should be. Miss Chapman is sitting with me in the dining room which we have decided is safest, - I don't know why. She doesn't seem in the least nervous and spends her time soothing Rex. I daresay we shall find in the morning that the bombs have not been within a mile of us; but it seems very near. I'm extremely busy at the Treasury, but am enjoying the work. To-day I have been commissioned by the Chancellor to write an important memorandum; and, as usual, have only a day to do it in…" "

From entry for 3 October 1915 (page 276):

"Maynard rather oppressed with his work at the Treasury. He seems to think now in millions. He feels very doubtful as to how we can get through financially."

From entry for 29 November 1917 (page 333):

"Maynard has gone to an important conference in Paris. Lord Reading and he represent finance. Lloyd George is also there…"

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