jo Geotge Wyndham's Plans \ l Q°3 



not a few vital points. Under his guidance the Jew capitalists have 

 flourished while the agricultural community has decayed. This he cer- 

 tainly did not intend, and here have been his failures. Nevertheless, 

 he was head and shoulders taller as a statesman than the other states- 

 men of his day, including Gladstone and Disraeli, I mean judged by 

 results, for he was neither an orator like Gladstone, nor a writer like 

 Disraeli. Personally in my few dealings with him I always found him 

 kind and courteous. I met him first, if I remember rightly, in 1880, 

 when I travelled down with him and Lytton by train to Lewes. It 

 was an accidental meeting. Then I had an interview with him about 

 the same time at the Foreign Office to talk over the affairs of Arabia, 

 Syria, and Egypt, but this I think must have been before the other 

 meeting, as he left office in June 1880 and Lytton did not return to 

 England till August. Later, in 1883, I had a curious talk with him 

 at the House of Lords about the Palmer business, and since then have 

 had from time to time bits of correspondence with him about Egyptian 

 matters. In all these he took the trouble of writing to me himself 

 and always with great courtesy. As long as Lady Salisbury lived her 

 influence with him was, I think, favourable to me. I was rather friends 

 with Lady Gwendolen, and Lady Galloway was his half-sister. His re- 

 tirement from the Foreign Office was a loss to me in every way. 

 Peace be with his ashes. 



" 1st Sept. — To-day George arrived from Ireland. This is George's 

 holiday time, and he has no red office boxes following him about, 

 but I found him full of talk about his political plans. He considers 

 things will go smoothly now in Ireland, and that the large majority 

 of estates will change hands under the new Act which comes into 

 operation in October. About preferential tariffs (Tariff Reform), he 

 took me into his confidence. He considers that Chamberlain has ab- 

 surdly exaggerated the importance of the Colonies, especially Aus- 

 tralia. ' For all practical politics,' he said, ' they are negligible quan- 

 tities, that is to say for the next thirty years, though they may become 

 of importance later. We need take no count of them at all now, only 

 Canada needs to be considered, and whatever we do in the way of 

 preference must be for her alone. This is what will be decided at 

 the next Cabinet, and we shall develop in our speeches in October. 

 Canada's position must be taken in connection with the United States, 

 which again is the only world power likely to rival our own. Germany 

 and France we need not worry about as rivals.' Of his own position 

 and prospects he talked with his usual na'ive self-confidence. ' I am 

 just forty,' he said, ' and find myself with the balance of power in 

 my hands. I mean of power in the Cabinet. We shall go out of 

 office next year, then I shall take a long holiday. I shall go travel- 

 ling all the world over, and not trouble myself in opposition, at 



