191 1 ] Russian Massacres at Tabriz 373 



vast family, living in Downing Street and entertaining sixty to eighty 

 people a week in the season, and thirty to fifty just now, is too much to 

 expect of a Prime Minister with seven children, on £5,000 a year, etc. 

 There is something comic in the idea of my contributing to the support 

 of Downing Street just at present, and acting the part of Whiteley to 

 the Prime Ministerial family. 



" 13th Dec. — The newspapers print news of a proclamation at Delhi, 

 removing the seat of the Viceregal Government there from Calcutta, 

 restoring also the unity of Bengal. This is a notable event. 



" 15//J Dec. — Grey has made another long speech in the House of 

 Commons about his Persian policy, in which he approves all the Rus- 

 sians are doing. What he is really aiming at is to Cromerise Persia, 

 preserving the form of its independence while destroying the sub- 

 stance. Russia is to do this in Persia as we do it in Egypt, and Italy, 

 perhaps, in Tripoli, and France in Morocco. They would do it in 

 Turkey, too, if the Turks had no army. It is the modern way of 

 devouring the Eastern nations. The Russian army is advancing on 

 Teheran, where the Mejliss refuses to comply with the ultimatum, and 

 we shall see a second edition there of Tripoli. 



" 16th Dec. — I have written a Ballade of resignation for Margot, 

 which I intend to send her with a peacock for her Xmas dinner. 



" I have been reading a volume of Scotch ballads, the only poetry 

 now that gives me any pleasure. They rouse me from my gloom, 

 especially that best of all, ' Sir Patrick Spens.' I am troubled at the 

 scramble for Asia which is going on. The Russian army, with Grey's 

 approval, is advancing on Teheran, where the Mejliss refuses to comply 

 with their ultimatum, and we shall see a second edition there of Tripoli. 

 There is talk of joint European intervention in China, and the year 



1912 will see a partition of the Ottoman Empire. As for Egypt I no 

 longer see any hope. Its chance of independence is bound up with 

 that of Turkey, and will not survive the destruction of the other. Win- 

 ston, I heard, has written to Seely, scolding him for his rudeness to me. 



" 20th Dec. — Browne has written to me in despair about Persia, 

 where the Mejliss is standing to its guns. I think the Mejliss quite 

 right. To accept the ultimatum would be to abandon all hope, and it is 

 better to die fighting than to be swallowed slowly by the Russian boa 

 constrictor and digested at leisure. Theirs is a council of despair, but 

 even despair has chances. 



" 26th Dec. — There has been an abominable massacre by the Rus- 

 sians at Tabriz, 500 persons, men, women, and children, killed, women 

 raped, and every imaginable abomination perpetrated. This is Grey's 

 doing as distinctly as if he had given the order, yet almost no protest 

 is made in our press, nor is there chance of an indignation meeting. 

 It is hopeless my going on fighting under these conditions, a single voice 



