314 Savarkar' s Escape at Marseilles [!9 10 



he can about Egypt, but it is difficult to keep the Irish members in 

 London, except when it is a case of Irish questions. He understands 

 the Egyptian case thoroughly ; the Radical members, however, will give 

 no support ; they are too ignorant of foreign affairs, and too much 

 afraid of Grey. Dillon is the pleasantest of companions, and an ex- 

 cellent talker, and we have had a profitable time. 



" nth July. — The twenty-seventh anniversary of the bombardment 

 of Alexandria. I am writing my final letter for the ' Westminster 

 Gazette,' disclosing the financial scandals in Egypt, so as to give Dil- 

 lon a lead on the Foreign Office vote. 



" 15th July. — Dillon writes that Grey, after saying that the Suez 

 Canal Correspondence would be laid on the table for members to read, 

 has withdrawn these, and there can be no debate about Egypt. Thus 

 the whole attempt to get publicity for the rascalities in Egypt breaks 

 down. My letter was sent in on the 13th, but the Editor says it may 

 be some time before he can print it. Such is the way these things 

 are managed. 



'• 16th July. — Savarkar, the Indian who was recently extradited and 

 sent to London, has managed to squeeze through his cabin window 

 at Marseilles and swim ashore, but was arrested by a French gendarme 

 and returned to the ship. He had had friends ready with a motor to 

 get him away. Khaparde tells me that Savarkar is the author of 

 ' The Indian Revolution of 1857,' and that is the real reason why they 

 want to get him back to India and punish him. 



" i%th July. — The Editor of the ' Westminster Gazette ' after keeping 

 it for a week refuses to publish my final letter about Egypt, and as 

 both Dillon and Keir Hardie say there is no chance of Egypt being 

 discussed, I am obliged to leave it there. I cannot fight this battle ab- 

 solutely alone, the odds against me are too great." [This letter I had 

 printed as a pamphlet under the heading " The Fiasco in Egypt." I 

 am quite sure that it was shown to Grey by the editor, and that in 

 consequence Grey resolved to burk the debate by withdrawing the cor- 

 respondence.] 



" 22nd July. — After all, Dillon was able to say a word on the For- 

 eign Office vote, but unsupported by a single member on the Liberal 

 side. It brought Grey out with another still stronger pronouncement 

 about the Government determination to stay on in Egypt. The abso- 

 lute and entire defection of the Labour members as well as the Liberals 

 is depressing. They have all now adopted Grey's imperialistic doctrine 

 of ' might is right ' in dealing with Orientals. I hold Morley more 

 responsible for this conversion of England to Jingoism than anyone 

 else in the Cabinet. He has surrendered the Indian citadel to the 

 enemy. It does not surprise me, nor do I suppose it will make any 

 difference in the end. Egypt's fate depends on the success of the 



