126 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK oh. 



The President returned an answer expressing 

 warm appreciation of his services to the University 

 and the regrets as well as the congratulations of 

 the authorities. 



Shortly after his accession to the peerage one 

 of the leading writers on the Gaulois invited him 

 to write a letter to that paper which might help 

 to dispel the deep misunderstanding of British 

 aims at that date rife in France. 



My Lord — You will doubtless have observed that 

 French thought as expressed by leading public men and 

 in most journals of influence, generally tends towards 

 the conclusion that an aggressive war against France is 

 the settled policy of England. 



Some months ago, in an interview published in the 

 Gaulois on the 8th December last, Mr. Lockroy (an 

 ex-Minister of Marine) has expressed his belief that 

 England will undoubtedly use her naval and military 

 forces for commercial speculations ; that is to say, that 

 she will endeavour to seize those colonial possessions 

 of other nations in order to secure fresh outlets for the 

 trade where it is at present closed by a system of high 

 protection. 



From my own knowledge I can say that the opinion 

 is largely entertained that war between France and 

 England is inevitable, and that it may break out at any 

 moment, but the above is the only apparently serious 

 reason which has been as yet given, and, what is more 

 important, it has not been refuted. 



I have therefore conceived the idea that it would 

 greatly conduce to a better understanding between the 

 two nations if I was fortunate enough to obtain for 

 publication in my paper, the Gaulois, an expression of 

 opinion from two or three leaders of thought in the 

 country, calculated to reassure the friends of peace and 

 to dissipate what I believe to be the erroneous conception 

 of English policy at present existing. 



I should therefore be deeply grateful if you would 

 favour me with a few lines stating whether you think 

 the French nation has cause for alarm : whether you 



