Mss Eur F594/10/9

Content warning: The papers of Arthur Moore Bennett (1877-1950) contain his personal views and opinions, with explicit language and terminology which today are deemed unacceptable and offensive and may cause upset.

Typescript volume covers the period 1921-1923, and was written in 1927. It is entitled 'Period 1921-1923 Reconstruction. Period of the decline of British Influence in East Asia'. Covers Moore Bennett's attempts to raise funds in England for new business after leaving ACEAL and his travels in England. Describes his return voyage to China. Lack of banking credit and cash for business. Describes trip by train to Japan and Korea with Dolly. Further business trips, including conversations with Sun Yat Sen. Comments on Russia's control of Mongolia and 'march' on China, leading to an influx of refugees, and the impact of the Russian Revolution. Describes trip to Harbin and train journey to Chita. Describes conditions as Chita, including the distressing effects of the famine, the state of the Volga refugees in Siberia, and the prevalence of prostitution. Comments on state of business in China. Describes surveying trip by train to Suiyang. Describes a period of illness, and his subsequent resignation as Chairman of the company. Holiday at Peitaiho and refurbishment of house in Peking. Refers to damage caused by earthquake in Japan. Describes in detail surveying trip to Shensi, including landscape and peoples encountered, and atrocities such as rape and torture committed by soldiers in the province. Also refers to effects of opium upon the people. Return to Peking, and Moore Bennett's thoughts regarding his relationship with his wife Dolly. Comments on taxation in Britain and his views on the payment of dole and other benefits to the working classes.

The volume is divided into sections entitled 'Period 1920-23 Decline of British Prestige in East Asia'; 'Tabulation of movements for the year 1921'; Starting a new concern. Murchies. Toksowa. Stengers. Glasgow. Moore's cook burnt. Colchester. Leicester. Patt Orr her baby. A Scots hotel. People and Travels'; 'Diversions. Theatres. Pains of Sheltering. A Fine Spring. Scotland. Cheapness of Essex. Embassy Club. Ockley & Vera. The Adlers. Financial Deeps. Sheffield. Birmingham. Railway Strike Threatens. Blackburn. Hellifield. NW Factory Girls & the YWCA. The horrors of Manchester'; 'Red Lion. An Adventure. Elsie. Preparations to leave. Flotation successful. Plant. Delta again. Many friends. Crown & Anchor. Heat antidotes. Born in the Bath'; 'Hong Kong. Registering the Company. The Smiths. Tottering again. Shanghai. Peking News. Our pets. Peach & Rhineholt. Joy. NW Correspondents. Japanese Troubles versus Americans. Leave for Japan. Journey by Sea. Hanamet & Lennox'; 'Japan discomforts. Costs. Tokyo, Korea, Mukden. Peking. Trip to Hankow, Shanghai. Hot missionaries. Typhoon, Swatow. Business bad. Drunken waster. Canton. Wilson. Ormiston. Reiss & Co badly hit. Sun Yat Sen's dreams. Try to negotiate understanding with Hong Kong'; 'Shanghai Reiss. Steibritz. Return of Germans. Allan Caldwell'; 'Tabulated movements for the year 1922'; 'Things Chinese. Mongolia and Russia. Decadence of Foreign prestige American responsibility. My library & studies. Northcliffe. Dolly to go home. Shanghai. Pratt. Hun River Trip. Trendels. Jimmy Jones. Peking folks & life'; 'Shanghai. Kays. Dolly to England. Self to Newchang. Van Ess. Jap [sic] Methods and Polices. Mukden. Wilkinson. Baker. Stockwell Fairley. Harbin. Hotels. People. Customs. Russians. Railway Club. Music. Refugees. Harold Porter. Hansen. Ross-Hudson. D'Anjou. Bathing. Horrors of undress'; 'To Siberia. Chinese Eastern. Strings. Manchuli. Snags en route. The Volga Famine. A.R. Train. A Ravaged Land. Chita. 'Far Eastern Republic' Capital. Bolshevics. Starving inhabitants. Volga Refugees. Awfulness of it all. Japanese Trials. Return to Harbin and Freedom'; 'War in China. Difficulties of travel. Elder. Mukden. Life. Smith. Peitaiho. Peking. Shanghai. Its Underworld. Hong Kong. Macao. Dr Sun. Canton. Empress of Australia. Shanghai. Illness Chefoo. Peking. Congestion'; 'Elsie Ill. Trip to Suiyang via Kalgan. Adventures there. Burbidge. Kalgan & its folk. Peking & Parties. Investments. Library. Doris Heath. Furs. Smiths. Accident on Ice'; 'Tabulated Movements for the year 1923'; 'Sickness. Diversions in bed. Trouble with Dolly. Dolly return. Her fresh air & my bad chest. Missionaries. Retirement from Business. Our house and making it. Peitaiho & its people. Waterspout. Trip to Mukden. Arsenal. Sutton. Mackenzie & Airdrome. Banque Industrielle. Return. Peking'; 'Grover Clark. The Leader. Shensi Interests. Billiard table arrives. Description of 83 Chao Yang Men. Orhan. Mary Kuhn'; 'Start for Shensi. Chengchow. Gwanyingtun. Cart and River trip. Tungkwan. Surveys. Motor trip to Sianfu. Arrival. The Crows. Tombs. Description of Country seen'; 'Liu Chen Hua. Tuchun. Entertainments. Description City & Exhibition. People. Wei River Survey. Ferocity of Soldiers. Prevalence of Opium. Disgraceful state of things. Missions. YMCA. Mudd. Jordan. Russell. H H Li. Mounsey Liu. Rape. Murder and all atrocities. Beautiful Country. Wildfowl. Tombs without end. Stag Palace. Ancient Things. Retrun'; 'Sianfu Arsenal Plans. Kuan Yi Wei. Theatres. Historic Play. Entertainments. Feast of Chrysanthemums. The tomb of the Greatest of All Chinese. Back by Road'; 'Visit with Baker to Sung Tombs. Photos. A Russian Girl. Stung. Chinese marriages. Chinese dinner. Customs re Officials visiting Sing Song houses. Political Troubles. Impey. Domestic relations. Resume of the Period'.

Images include: five black and white photographs taken in England 1921, York Minster, Vera Adler at Ockley 1920, Stengers, Thompsons, Grant-Helas, Tinker, Hallie, Elaine & Moore Bennett at Toksowa Jan 1921, Ethel Webb 1921, Moore Bennett at Ockley 1920; two black and white photographs of Delia age 11 and Delia and her mother; two black and white photographs of NW [Nan Wright]; five black and white photographs of Moore Bennett's dogs Lady, Brother, Ching and Peter; black & white photograph of private train car taken into Siberia; three black & white photographs of the ship Empress of Australia, including ships at Kowloon; black and white photograph of mountain scenery; eight black and white photographs taken in Mongolia including Mongol yurts and horseman, picture of women in a 'village', woman with two retainers, 'A Living Bhuddah [Buddha] one of the 168', devotees at an outdoor service at a temple in Lamaseria, Mongol men with bow and arrow outside a yurt, Mongol family outside a yurt, flock of sheep; two black and white photographs of Moore Bennett's house at 83 Chao Yang Men Da Chieh, Peking, including ornate drawing room fireplace and Ming pearwood panelling in the Drawing Room; six black and white photographs taken at Peitaiho, 1923, including Dolly, Frank Sutton, Jessie Ogden, Freda Hilda Morton, playing tennis and on the beach; black and white photograph showing ground plan of house at 83 Chao Yang Men Da Chieh as finished in 1925; three black and white photographs of Drawing Room at 83 Chao Yang Men, and three photograph of courtyards; three black and white photographs taken at the Yellow River above Shemchow, 1923, including two of sailing junk; coloured pen and ink sketch map showing surveying trip along the Yellow River and to Sianfu, Shensi, 1923; three black and white photographs of Shansi, 1923, including conjurer in village, sheep in temple court, and view along the river; black and white photograph of captain of ship commandeered on the Wei river; coloured pen and ink sketch map of the Wei River Valley, including site of ancient Stag Palace, and tombs near Sianfu; two black and white photographs of the Yellow River, 1923, showing sunset and geese flying; three black and white photographs of boats on the Wei River; three black and white photographs of Sianfu, 1923, showing walls, moats and gates; black and white photograph of carts and escort outside Sianfu; black and white photograph of wildfowl on the Wei River; four black and white photographs of the Sung tombs in Homan, Dec 1923, including stone figures, avenue of stone animals (including elephants), and carving of 'Horse Headed Phoenix'.