354 Germany Claims a Set-Off for Morocco IT9 11 



of my dear old friend Wagram. It was signed by Alexandre and 

 the two girls. 



" 18th July. — Grey has declared, in answer to a question in Par- 

 liament, suggested by me, that Kitchener's instructions, which he 

 declines to produce, ' will involve no change in the general policy of 

 his Majesty's Government.' He said the same thing when Gorst 

 succeeded Cromer. What he probably means is that, with the same 

 pretence of preparing Egypt for self-government, the military occu- 

 pation, which is all they really care about, will be maintained. There 

 will, however, most certainly be a change of tactics, the entente with 

 the Khedive will give place to an entente with the Khedive's enemies, 

 and there is already sign of it in a telegram from Cairo saying that the 

 Nationalists are pleased with Kitchener personally. Osman Ghaleb 

 writes from Paris sending me a message dictated to him by the 

 Khedive. In this letter Abbas declares himself quite ready to grant 

 a Constitution, and says that it was in reality he who caused the 

 Suez Convention to be rejected by the General Assembly last year. 

 Osman Ghaleb adds a private P.S. saying that Abbas talks of abdicat- 

 ing; but that would only mean the substitution of his son with a 

 Regency giving complete power to Kitchener. 



" 20th July. — Worth Forest. Things are happening fast in Europe, 

 and it seems pretty certain now that Germany has made terms not 

 only with France but with Russia, in order to break up their entente 

 with us. The ' Conversations ' which have been held at Berlin be- 

 tween Von Kiderlin Waechter and Cambon (Jules) are announced 

 to have resulted in a claim made by Germany of the French Congo as 

 a set off for Morocco, and at the same time the Spaniards are press- 

 ing things on at Alcazar and a French Consul has been insulted there. 

 This means that the Germans are determined on having their naval 

 station on the Atlantic whether we choose or not. The ' Times ' has a 

 warlike article to-day reminding Asquith of his bold words of a fort- 

 night ago, and pressing him to make them good. I don't suppose he 

 will, for he is entirely occupied with his quarrel with the House of 

 Lords, which has reached its crisis, while the Dock Strike continues, 

 making the shortage of wheat in the country so great that Caffin tells 

 me even a well-founded rumour of war would bring about a collapse. 

 People don't believe in war as a possible thing concerning England. 



" The ex-Shah of Persia has landed at a Caspian port, and is rai- 

 ing an army obviously with the consent of the Russian Government. 

 The Turkish quarrel with Albania has developed too, and almost any- 

 thing may happen in that direction. It is impossible things can settle 

 down without great changes and shiftings to the detriment of Moham- 

 medan lands, and this makes me unhappy. 



" Osman Ghaleb has written again, and I have sent a letter in re- 



