1896] Rosebery's Armenian Policy 215 



arm if he interfered with the operations. Lesseps was a vain old 

 fool. 



" 2$th Jan. — Lady Gallo.way has arrived at Cairo. I went in to see 

 her at the Legation, where she is staying with the Cromers. She told 

 me that it was out of the question to think of our evacuating Egypt, 

 that if we went out the French would come in, or there would be mas-" 

 sacres and a lot more rubbish, which I fear represents Lord Salisbury's 

 view. She also blamed Rosebery for the Armenian policy, bu't excused 

 Lord Salisbury for continuing it on the ground that he had a real sym- 

 pathy for Armenia, and real hatred for the Turks. The Russo-Turkish 

 alliance is announced by the ' Pall Mall,' it cannot but be true. I fancy 

 the Russian Government is glad to ally itself with a fellow suppressor 

 of Nihilism, whether Russian or Armenian. The Armenians seem 

 likely now 'to be exterminated between them, our Government playing 

 the most foolish figure imaginable. Lady Galloway is coming to 

 Sheykh Obeyd on Monday. 



" 2jth Jan. — Lady Galloway was here for luncheon to-day. I have 

 written my memorandum on the evacuation of Egypt, and am sending 

 it to Lord Salisbury through Pom McDonnell. In my letter to Pom I 

 say : ' I have drawn it up very carefully, and after consultation wi'th 

 some of my Egyptian friends, who best know the situation, and in whom 

 I have most confidence as honest and patriotic men. I have also some 

 reason to believe that Monsieur Cogordan, the present French Min- 

 ister, would enter in'to some such plan were it suggested to him. He 

 is a far fairer and more intelligent man than any of his predecessors 

 here. I have said nothing of it, however, directly to him, as I only 

 know him very slightly. You know how anxious I am that Egypt 

 should be allowed to work out her political destiny in peace, and I fore- 

 see that if Lord Salisbury does nothing 'towards a solution of the ques- 

 tion now, it will be forced upon him later in a way which will lead to 

 the sacrifice of all Egyptian hopes. With the support of Germany 

 withdrawn from our occupation, it is impossible that Europe should 

 long delay making the question its own. This sensible Egyptians fear 

 as a worse evil than anything in their present condition, for it would 

 mean Egypt for all the speculators of Europe.' 



" Our policy at Constantinople has certainly gone an absolute smash, 

 and Philip must be feeling small. A treaty is announced be'tween 

 Russia and Turkey, which, whether quite true or not, must be very near 

 the truth. I strongly suspect that the famous incident of Said Pasha 

 taking refuge at the Bri'tish Embassy was an ingenious trick to spy 

 out the real ideas of the Ambassador. Said may very well have gone 

 there with the knowledge and privity of the Sultan, and the result may 

 have convinced the Sultan that England was his bitteres't personal en- 



