I9 11 ] The Italians Invade Tripoli 363 



ened invasion of Tripoli by the Italians. This taken together with 

 a settlement of the Morocco quarrel between France and Germany 

 which seems now to be pretty certain, has a very ugly look. 



" 2$th Sept. — My kinsman, Gordon Blunt, was here yesterday to 

 say good-bye on his starting for Malta, where he is to be in command 

 of the mechanical transport. 



" 26th Sept. — Things look uglier than ever in regard to Tripoli. 

 I feel certain it is part of a general agreement, come to very likely as 

 long ago as last year, for the dismemberment of what remains of the 

 Islamic States of North Africa, and probably brought to a head by the 

 disclosure of the fact that Germany is not prepared for a war with 

 France. The Italian Fleet has already put to sea, and Tripoli or 

 Benghazi, or both, will be bombarded and a landing attempted. Tur- 

 key must fight, though at the immense disadvantage of the Italians 

 holding the sea, and so cutting her communications with Constanti- 

 nople. Germany is said to be persuading the Turkish Government 

 to yield half the Sultan's sovereign rights to Italy, but this they cannot 

 do. It is a still more lawless affair than the French raid on Tunis of 

 thirty years ago, and with less pretence of right. Indeed, no pretence 

 is being made except that Italy needs compensation for France's raid 

 on Morocco. It can hardly not lead to a general dismemberment of 

 the Ottoman Empire. It is a thoroughly black outlook. 



" 28th Sept. — Chapel Street. Halil Halid was here in the after- 

 noon. He tells me the Turks will certainly fight, but they have only 

 10,000 men in Tripoli, and no commander of ability. They have been 

 betrayed there by the Freemasons belonging to the Committee of 

 Union and Progress, who playing into the Italian hands, have neglected 

 sending reinforcements. If this is so, and he says the Freemasons 

 have it all their own way in Salonika, Turkey's case has become hope- 

 less. He says also that the Turkish Ambassador here has applied to 

 Grey to intervene, but Grey has refused categorically. 



" 30th Sept. — War is declared, and the Italians have landed troops 

 at Tripoli, Benghazi, and in Albania. Also, and this is the worst 

 feature of the case, there is a change of Government at Constantinople. 

 Hakki Pasha has resigned, and is succeeded by Said and Kiamil, a 

 combination sure to be in English interests as to Egypt, while Shefket, 

 the fighting head of the Army, is no longer Minister of War. This 

 means, I fear, a tame surrender, though the Tripoli Arabs will not 

 accept Christian rule without fierce fighting. 



" To ' Man and Superman ' with Dorothy in the afternoon. A 

 good play, like all of Shaw's, but less amusing than ' Fanny's First 

 Play,' or ' Arms and the Man,' or ' John Bull's Other Island.' These 

 three are the most amusing plays ever written in any language. 



" 1st Oct. (Sunday). — With Meynell to call on old William 



