No matter what political reasons are given for war, the underlying reason is always economic.

We learn nothing from history except the infinite variety of men's behaviour.

In 1917 European history, in the old sense, came to an end. World history began. It was the year of Lenin and Woodrow Wilson, both of whom repudiated the traditional standards of political behaviour. Both preached Utopia, Heaven on Earth. It was the moment of birth for our contemporary world.

Manchester has everything but good looks..., the only place in England which escapes our characteristic vice of snobbery.

Rather an end in horror, than horror without end. He could not condemn principles he might need to invoke and apply later. The wolf cannot help having been created by God as he is, but we shoot him all the same if we have to. The great player in diplomacy, as in chess, asks the question,Does this improve me?, not look at the possible fringe benefits If you can't have what you like, you must like what you have.

One of the penalties of being president of the United States is that you must subsist for four years without drinking anything except Californian wine.

The Foreign Office knows no secrets.