Douglas Francis Jerrold (
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
3 August 1893 – 1964) was a British journalist and publisher. As editor of ''
The English Review
''The English Review'' was an English-language literary magazine published in London from 1908 to 1937. At its peak, the journal published some of the leading writers of its day.
History
The magazine was started by 1908 by Ford Madox Hueffer (la ...
'' from 1931 to 1935, he was a vocal supporter of fascism in Italy and of
Francoist Spain
Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
. He was personally involved in the events of July 1936 when two British intelligence agents piloted an aircraft from the
Canary Islands to
Spanish Morocco, taking General
Francisco Franco with them and thereby helped to spark the military coup that ignited the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
.
[Alpert, Michael, ''A New international history of the Spanish Civil War''](_blank)
Retrieved 6 March 2010
Early life
Jerrold was born in
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
in 1893, the son of Sidney Douglas Jerrold and Maud Francis Goodrich. He was a descendant of the Victorian dramatist and writer
Douglas William Jerrold
Douglas William Jerrold (London 3 January 18038 June 1857 London) was an English dramatist and writer.
Biography
Jerrold's father, Samuel Jerrold, was an actor and lessee of the little theatre of Wilsby near Cranbrook in Kent. In 1807 Dougla ...
, one of the founders of ''
Punch
Punch commonly refers to:
* Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist
* Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice
Punch may also refer to:
Places
* Pun ...
''. He served as an officer in the Hawke Battalion of the
Royal Naval Division
The 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was a United Kingdom infantry division of the First World War. It was originally formed as the Royal Naval Division at the outbreak of the war, from Royal Navy and Royal Marine reservists and volunteers, who wer ...
during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, seeing action at
Gallipoli and on the Western Front. One of his fellow officers in the Hawke Battalion was the writer and humourist
A P Herbert. In the early postwar period, Jerrold wrote histories of both the Battalion and the Division.
Jerrold was admitted to the
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...
on 20 November 1918, but was not called to the Bar.
Career
Publishing
Jerrold became a director of
Eyre & Spottiswoode
Eyre & Spottiswoode was the London-based printing firm that was the King's Printer, and subsequently, a publisher prior to being incorporated; it once went by the name of Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & co. ltd. In April 1929, it was incorporated as E ...
in 1929, chairman in 1945 and retired in 1958. Between 1944 and 1948,
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...
was his director, in charge of the fiction list.
Politics
Jerrold was at his core a
Tory
A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...
and was hopeful of a career in politics, but he was critical of the alliance between the
Conservative Party and big business; he felt that the party had become too nakedly capitalist. His views were not popular with the party leadership, and in 1931, Jerrold's hopes of a parliamentary seat were dashed by
Central Office.
[Pugh, Martin, p.205](_blank)
Retrieved July 2012.
Pugh, Martin. ''Hurrah for the Blackshirts!: Fascists and Fascism in Britain Between the Wars'' (Pimlico, 2006) .
''The English Review'' and the ''New English Review''
Sidelined in mainstream politics, Jerrold became editor of ''
The English Review
''The English Review'' was an English-language literary magazine published in London from 1908 to 1937. At its peak, the journal published some of the leading writers of its day.
History
The magazine was started by 1908 by Ford Madox Hueffer (la ...
'', which he ran from 1931 to 1935. He advocated "real Toryism as opposed to the plutocratic Conservatism represented by the official party", under the relatively liberal leadership of
Stanley Baldwin.
He was a romantic anticapitalist and a devout
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
who was strongly attracted to the fascism of
Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
's Italy, the Catholic nationalism of Franco, and the rule of
Antonio Salazar in Portugal as well as to that of
Engelbert Dollfuss
Engelbert Dollfuß (alternatively: ''Dolfuss'', ; 4 October 1892 – 25 July 1934) was an Austrian clerical fascist politician who served as Chancellor of Austria between 1932 and 1934. Having served as Minister for Forests and Agriculture, he ...
in Austria. In addition, Jerrold, unlike his ''English Review'' colleague, the historian Sir
Charles Petrie, was an imperialist who was opposed to Britain's policy in India, which had recognised the inevitability of self-rule. Moreover, Jerrold favoured a greatly-strengthened executive government at home, if not an outright dictatorship. If not a fascist, Jerrold was undeniably sympathetic to fascism.
On 21 November 1933, Jerrold's ''English Review'' hosted a dinner, presided over by
Lord Carson, which was intended to be the climax of Jerrold's campaign for a new corporatist approach to government. However, the dinner was not as successful as Jerrold hoped. The 350 guests were united in their opposition to the
National Government but otherwise held divergent views. Soon afterwards, Jerrold gave his views on
parliamentary democracy
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
:
:There is no folly more fashionable than the saying that the English will never tolerate a dictatorship. Under constitutional forms of a very flimsy character the English have invariably insisted on being governed either by a close oligarchy or a virtual dictatorship.... It is because the party machines have notably failed to govern that they are losing the public confidence, and unless Parliament under universal franchise can fulfil the indispensable task of leadership, a dictatorship is not only inevitable but necessary.
– Douglas Jerrold, Current comments, English Review, December 1933
In 1945, he launched and ran a successor, the ''New English Review'', later known as the ''English Review Magazine'', with
Charles Petrie and support from the Conservative party. In 1950, this merged with the ''
National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...
''.
Fascist sympathies
In a July 1933 article in the ''English Review'', Jerrold argued that because of the threat of
communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...
to Britain, "the forcible overthrow of Herr
Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's administration would be a disaster". Jerrold also joined the
January Club
The January Club was a discussion group founded in 1934 by Oswald Mosley to attract Establishment support for the movement known as the British Union of Fascists.
The Club was under the effective control of Robert Forgan, working on behalf of ...
, founded by
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980) was a British politician during the 1920s and 1930s who rose to fame when, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, he turned to fascism. He was a member ...
in January 1934, to generate sympathy and some element of respectability for fascism and particularly to court conservative opinion. The January Club was not explicitly fascist but was "in sympathy with the fascist movement". Meetings were held over dinners at London hotels, where its leaders advanced a
corporatist
Corporatism is a Collectivism and individualism, collectivist political ideology which advocates the organization of society by Corporate group (sociology), corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guil ...
agenda and insisted that "the present democratic system of government must be changed". At the same time, Jerrold was no Nazi and supported the efforts of Mussolini to avenge the 1934 murder of Dollfuss, which had been carried out by pro-Hitler forces.
Spanish Civil War
During the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
, Jerrold strongly supported the Nationalist cause of General
Francisco Franco and was among those who argued that the destruction of
Guernica
Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the mu ...
had been caused not by Nationalist bombers but by retreating Republican forces.
In his 1938 book ''The Future of Freedom: Notes on Christianity and Politics'', Jerrold outlined his support for the pro-Catholic dictatorships of Franco and Mussolini. He wrote, "Christians not only can but must wish and pray for General Franco's success".
Jerrold, Douglas, p.115, ''The Future of Freedom: Notes on Christianity and Politics''
Retrieved 10 July 2012
Jerrold, in fact, took an active and personal role in Franco's successful coup. He had been involved in the events of July 1936, when Captain Cecil Bebb
Captain Cecil William Henry Bebb (27 September 1905 – 29 March 2002) was a British commercial pilot and later airline executive, notable for flying General Francisco Franco from the Canary Islands to Spanish Morocco in 1936, a journey whic ...
and Major Hugh Pollard piloted a de Havilland Dragon Rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its rel ...
aircraft from the Canary Islands to Spanish Morocco, taking Franco with them and thereby igniting the Spanish Civil War. The flight itself was planned over lunch at Simpson's-in-the-Strand
Simpson's-in-the-Strand is one of London's oldest traditional English restaurants. Situated in the Strand, it is part of the Savoy Buildings, which also contain one of the world's most famous hotels, the Savoy. The restaurant has been "temp ...
, where Jerrold met with the journalist Luis Bolín
Luis Antonio Bolín Bidwell (1894 Málaga – 3 September 1969) was a Spanish lawyer, journalist and an expert in tour operating. This led to his appointment as Head of the National Union of Catering and Allied Attorney in Parliament during the fi ...
, London correspondent of the '' ABC'' newspaper and later Franco's senior press advisor. Jerrold then recruited Pollard to join the enterprise, along with Pollard's daughter Diana and one of her friends as "cover".
Publications
* The Royal Naval Division, By Douglas Jerrold, With an Introduction by the Right Hon Winston S Churchill. Hutchinson and Co (1923).
* The Hawke Battalion Some Personal Records of Four Years, 1914-18. Ernest Benn Limited, London (1925).
* The War on Land, In the Main Theatres of War, 1914–1918, Comprising the Western Front, the Eastern Front, the Italian Front, the Balkans, and the Campaigns against Turkey . Ernest Benn Limited, London (1928)
*England. (1935). London: Arrowsmith. 240 pages
Jerrold, Douglas, p.115, ''The Future of Freedom: Notes on Christianity and Politics''
Sheed and Ward, New York (1938) Retrieved 10 July 2012
* Britain and Europe from 1900 to 1940 . Collins, London (1941)
* England: Past, Present and Future . Norton, New York (1950)
* An Introduction to the History of England, from the Earliest Times to 1204 . Houghton Mifflin, New York (1952)
* The Lie about the West: A Response to Professor Toynbee's Challenge . Sheed and Ward, New York (1954)
See also
*Charles Petrie (historian)
Sir Charles Alexander Petrie, 3rd Baronet (28 September 1895 – 13 December 1977) was a British historian.
Early life
Born in Liverpool, he was the younger son of Sir Charles Petrie, 1st Baronet and his wife, Hannah. He was educated at t ...
*Francis Yeats-Brown
Major Francis Charles Claydon Yeats-Brown, DFC (15 August 1886 – 19 December 1944) was an officer in the British Indian army and the author of the memoir '' The Lives of a Bengal Lancer'', for which he was awarded the 1930 James Tait Black ...
References
External links
Douglas Jerrold at the Dictionary of National Biography
Retrieved 10 July 2012
Images of Jerrold at the National Portrait Gallery
Retrieved 10 July 2012
Drawing of Douglas Francis Jerrold by Robert Lutyens, 1962
Retrieved 10 July 2012
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jerrold, Douglas
British male journalists
British people of the Spanish Civil War
People from Scarborough, North Yorkshire
English fascists
1893 births
1964 deaths
Military personnel from Yorkshire
Royal Navy officers of World War I
Royal Navy officers
63rd (Royal Naval) Division soldiers