548 



The Review of Reviews. 



(Srcy, ever since lie took office, lias been sur- 

 rounded, influenced, dominated by men in the 

 Foreign Office and in at least two of the most 

 important Embassies, who are obsessed by the 

 belief that (Jeniiany is our inveterate enemy, that 

 war with Germany in the near future is as inevitable 

 £S the rising of the sun, and that therefore ail other 

 considerations must be subordinated to tiie one 

 supreme duty of thwarting Germany at every turn, 

 even if in so doing Britibh interests. Treaty faith, and 

 the peace of the world are trampled underfoot. I 

 speak that of which I know. These men who mould 

 Sir Edward Grey as clay is moulded in the hands 

 of the poller make no secret of their convictions. 

 One of them told me without the slightest hesita- 

 tion that the whole European situation was dominated 

 by ilie inordinate unscrupulous ambition of Germany. 

 " Germany," he said, " has only one object. She wants 

 to destroy our supremacy at sea in order to seize 

 our colonies. Instead of prating of peace and a 

 reduction of armaments, our one duty was to increase 

 our armaments in order to repel her inevitable attack, 

 and have a powerful army with which to help the 

 French on land." I remember this conversation, 

 because it impressed me so much that I repeated it 

 word for word to Sir H. Campbell-Bannernian, who 

 was simply aghast. But even Sir Henry Campbell- 

 Bannernian was powerless. Sir Edward Grey has 

 been autocrat of the Foreign Office, and he did not 

 brook interference even from Prime Ministers in his 

 choice of advisers and agents. The bogus interview 

 that was imputed to Sir F. Cartwright would have 

 attracted no attention had it not been generally 

 known that, although the Ambassador may never 

 have said one word of the interview, its spirit 

 embodied all loo faithfully the mood of too many 

 of our luubassies, which in turn poisons the atmo- 

 .sphere of Downing Street. 



'J'his damnable fixed idea dominates 



The D.T-nnablo ^^^ Edward Grey and colours all 



Fixed Idea. his utterances and all his actions. 



When a few years ago efforts were 



made to bring about more cordial relations between 



the journalists of the two countries by means of an 



interchange of visits, the frank and friendly support 



"iven by the German Chancellor was in grim contrast 



to the cold and forbidding attitude of the British 



Foreign Office. Lord Haldane and Mr. Bryce did 



their best, but Sir Edward Grey held coldly aloof. 



As it was with regard to the visits of the journalists, 



M> it has been with regard to any and every attempt to 



(-tablish cordial relations with the Germans, Other 



Ministers have gone to Reiiin, Sir Edward (jrcy has 

 never set foot on German soil. Russia is the full- 

 fledged ally of P'rance, but the Tsar did not hesitate 

 to go to Potsdam to make an amicable .arrangement 

 with Germany. The mere thought of corresponding 

 action on our part would have made Sir Edward 

 Grey tremble in his .shoes. You may look through 

 his speeches from first to last without finding one 

 hearty generous reference to Gerinany. It is not 

 that Sir Edward Grey dislikes the Germans. He is a 

 man without prejudices. He is simply to-day, as he 

 has been since he took office, in terror of his life lest 

 any rnpprochemcnt with Germany might offend the 

 French. Upon this fear the French and our Ambas- 

 sador at Paris took such advantage that Sir Edward 

 Grey at last became little more than their marionette. 

 Treaty obligations, British interests, the risk of war 

 — those were as trifles light as air compared with the 

 one supreme paramount duty of keeping in with the 

 Flench at any cost ; nay, even without counting the 

 cost. It was this, and nothing else but this, which 

 threatened, and will continue to threaten, the jieace 

 of Europe until a clean sweep has been made of 

 the bureaucratic crew which, through Sir Edward 

 Grey, steers our Ship of State. 



On September 7th, 1906, the 

 Treaty of Algeciras was signed 

 by Britain, Germany, France, 

 Spain, Austria, Italy, Russia, and 

 the United States. It began by declaring that the 

 independence and integrity of the Empire of Morocco 

 was the basis upon which the international settlement 

 rested. In order to secure the maintenance of the 

 Sherifian Empire French and Spanish officers were 

 to be engaged as instructors of the Sultan's army, and 

 various other provisions were set forth for the regula- 

 tion of the Customs, the Bank, and other matters. 

 While it was understood that the French were to be 

 allowed to carry on their policy of peaceful penetra- 

 tion, it was expressly stated that all the other Powers 

 were to enjoy equal privileges in the way of trade 

 Five years have elapsed, and lo ! v>e find Morocco, 

 with the active support of Sir Edward Grey, converted 

 into a " new France in North Africa," without so much 

 as saying " by your leave " to any other signatories 

 of the Treaty of Algeciras, save Germany, and her 

 assent was extorted by virtual threat of war. .\iid it 

 is after the completion of this astonishing transaction 

 that Mr. Asquith has the amazing assurance to stand 

 up in the House of ("ommons and claim that the 

 obieit of his policy was to fulfil treaty obligations ! 



What h.^s Happened ? 



