Series 01 Part 02: Hughes family correspondence, 3 April 1917-22 September 1918 - Page 422
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[Page 422]
6.
The Labour Party still stands aloof from the recruiting efforts now going on. The Governor General's conference of all parties was a failure, & we couldn't get the Labourites to do more than vote for a resolution of sympathy with the Cause, unaccompanied with any undertaking to give active help as a party. Very many individual Labourites have enlisted of course, but the party, – as a party – will not join in a united effort. Still, as I said earlier in this letter, recruiting in New South Wales, at any rate, has greatly improved. R.B. Orchard, the new Minister for Recruiting, may have his limitations like the rest of us, but he is throwing far more vigour into the work than has been shown for a long time.
The last cable from Auntie Mary about you was sent on the 3rd & we got it about the 5th of this month. It simply said "Geoffrey writes well & cheery", & after all that is what we want to know. We have sent you two since, one from Peter on his father's birthday (6th May), & the other last Saturday with our congratulations on your "Mention for Valuable Services." In the Stonyhurst Magazine I got the other day those in that list were mostly potent grave & reverend generals, colonels, & an occasional major, & Mrs. Thompson was much impressed on Sunday last as she said that was what Sir Horace McMahon had got. I see that Bulfin, who is a Lieut. General in Palestine, has got his K.C.B. I have just written to Gilbert, who curiously enough mentioned Bulfin's name as present at Midnight Mass at Bethlehem on Christmas night, telling him to look Bulfin up & tell him I was at Stonyhurst with him. Gilbert is doing very well from all I hear, but it will be no harm for him to enlarge the circle of his acquaintances in the higher commands.
It is very late, & I am afraid I must stop & hunt your Mummy to bed, so goodnight, & heaps of love from us both.
May God ever bless & guard you, my dearest boy.
Your loving father
Thomas Hughes.