THE PERSIAN CONVENTION

the head of his profession; but he elected to devote his patient acuteness and phenomenal power of work to the task of reorganising the British Army, a labour which had brought failure to many patriotic and devoted Ministers. He established what is called a Territorial army as a reserve to the regular army. The regular army at home was to consist of a first line of six infantry divisions, of four cavalry brigades of twelve regiments each, making in all 160,000 men. The second line was composed of a Territorial army, consisting of militia, yeomanry, and volunteers. The country was divided into fourteen regimental districts, and in each county an association was to be formed under the Lord Lieutenant for organising the force. The strength of the Territorial army was to be made up to 300,000 men. Service in the Territorial army was to last four years, terminable at three months' notice on the payment of £5.

The most important event of the year 1907 was the signing Ancient Foes of a Convention between Great Britain and Russia, which defined United. the spheres of influence of the two countries in Persia, and agreed, among other things, that neither should send representatives to Lhassa, the sacred city of Tibet. The rivalry between Russia and Great Britain had been one of the most momentous facts, and certainly the most disastrous, in British foreign politics since the fall of Napoleon. It is difficult to see how it originated, or on what reasons it was based. Nicholas I., one of the greatest of the Tsars, was devotedly attached to Great Britain and was received with the most friendly hospitality by the British Court in the 'forties. Great Britain was led into the Crimean War by the intrigues of Napoleon III., and into unfriendly relations with Alexander II. by the partisanship of Beaconsfield and the necessity of finding a cry to replace him in power. Madame de Novikov worked hard to improve the relations between the two Courts and make them understand each other, and she influenced Gladstone in the same direction. But the unreasoning predilection of the British for Turkey, one of the mysteries of their statesmen's policy, prevented the nation from following a new lead, and the suspicion of Russia still remained. A section of British Radicals detested Russian systems of government, not knowing what they really are, not realising how difficult it is to alter them, and not understanding that the Tsar Nicholas II. is one of the best, the most enlightened, the most peace-loving, monarchs in Europe, and had set himself to inaugurate a system of constitutional government in his country, so far as was possible under the peculiar conditions.

Irritation in

Germany.

The Tibet

That an agreement should at last be effected between these two nations was like sun in winter. It was due to the wisdom of Sir Edward Grey, the statesmanship of Asquith, the sagacious counsel of Sir Arthur Nicholson (the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg, who then happened to be in London), the determined enthusiasm of John Morley, and, above all, the encouraging courtesy and sympathy of the Russian Foreign Office. Great Britain's relations with France and Russia thus became smooth, the prudent course being taken of removing out of the path all controversies which might produce a serious quarrel. The quasialliance, which never became a real alliance, between Great Britain, France and Russia, caused suspicion and irritation in Germany, which began to feel isolated; but Campbell-Bannerman assured the German Foreign Office that these agreements were not hostile to its interests, and that the only reason why a similar arrangement was not made with Germany was because no similar causes of quarrel existed at the moment between it and Great Britain.

We have seen that one of the clauses in the Anglo-Russian Expedition. Convention provided that neither country should interfere with Lhassa. Lord Curzon, as Viceroy of India, had found it imperative to send a military expedition to Tibet to conquer Lhassa. This mysterious city, the home of the Dalai Lama, is more likely than any other place in the world to contain evidence of the beginnings of definite relations between God and man, because the first worshippers of an All-Wise and an All-Mighty God were Mongolian, and Lhassa is the oldest seat of Mongolian religion. This expedition, commanded by Younghusband, was eminently successful, and led to a treaty which was afterwards, unfortunately, disregarded. When the expedition was sent Russia had not been conquered by Japan. There is now less chance of her advance in this direction; but it may be doubted whether it was wise to leave Tibet in the hands of China: a country permeated with spirituality controlled by a material and irreligious horde.

King

Edward's
Influence.

During these years dislike of Great Britain had been gradually fading away, owing, as we have seen, more than anything else, to the personal popularity and tact of Edward VII. He was acquainted with, indeed more or less related to, all European sovereigns, and worked hard in strengthening these ties. He was in the habit of paying a yearly visit to Marienbad to drink the waters, a custom which, under the care of Dr. Ott, undoubtedly extended his life. Nothing could exceed the affectionate enthusiasm with which he was received in that health

BRITAIN THE DOMINATING POWER

resort, Russians, French, Austrians, and above all Germans, who had been most embittered against England and against him personally during the Boer War, thronging to do him honour. Embarrassing as their attentions must sometimes have been, he valued them as evidence that the cloud which had hung over his country was passing, and he was becoming a potent factor in the counsels of Europe as the ambassador of peace. The effect produced by his ten years of rule in this respect the difference between the isolation, the ostracism, of Great Britain in 1901 and her commanding influence in 1911is only comparable with the first ten years of the younger Pitt, which saw Great Britain in 1783 the pariah of the world, and in 1793 the dominating Power in Europe.

His was

Bannerman.

Early in 1908 Campbell-Bannerman, worn out by political Death of labour, intensified by the calamity of his wife's death and the Campbellheroic efforts he had made to prolong her life, was obliged to resign office, and, indeed, shortly afterwards died. succeeded by a Ministry which was destined to leave a great mark on the history of the country, in respect of the progress of democracy and the preservation of peace. Campbell-Bannerman had worked hard for both objects and left a name honoured on both counts. In the new Cabinet, Asquith became Prime Minister, an office now for the first time recognised by the Constitution; and Lloyd George, a man of consummate genius and the highest character, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Exhibition.

The summer saw the Franco-British Exhibition in London, The Francowhich did much to consolidate the friendship between Great British Britain and France, and, at the same place, the celebration of the so-called Olympic games in the Stadium, where the youth of the world competed together in honourable rivalry in almost every branch of athletic exercise and sport. Lord Desborough, to whose energy and statesmanlike wisdom the success of this enterprise was due, said that nothing pleased him more in this experience than having to preside, night after night, at banquets of young men of all countries, singing their national songs, meeting in peace and harmony, and establishing thereby the solidarity of nations, and making war impossible. Kings and statesmen may do what they please, but when nations meet together in athletic sport, or friendly intercourse, in Olympic games or in Esperanto congresses, to enjoy the same amusements and speak the same language, war must gradually become impossible. Olympia was regarded as the strongest bond of Greek unity in ancient times; there is no reason why a similar associa

Democratic
Reforms.

Death of

tion in these times, embracing, not a nation, but the whole world, should not achieve as much for us.

In the same year a Pan-Anglican Congress brought together every section of the English Church throughout the world. The King made visits of amity and peace to the President of the French Republic, the Tsar-an admirable action, much resented by intemperate Radicals-the Emperors of Austria and Germany, while the Prince of Wales strengthened the bond of union with Canada. In the political sphere the rejection of the Licensing Bill by the Lords accentuated the agitation against the Upper House. The Old Age Pensions Act, promised by the Unionists but never given, brought peace and comfort into many a home and diminished the terrible pauperism of the country; the Children's Act, due mainly to Herbert Samuel, tended to make the youngest and most important members of society temperate and moral. All these measures were consummated by Lloyd George's democratic budget, which provided the money necessary for the increased expenses of the country, not in the taxation of food and raw material, which would have pressed heavily upon the poor and upon industry, but in the taxation of the rich. The budget was, by a grave display of unwisdom, which much disturbed the King, rejected by the House of Lords, but was carried after a general election had decided in its favour.

Steps were now taken to carry out what had been promised Edward VII. by Campbell-Bannerman and been discussed long before his time—namely, the making the veto of the Lords suspensive, instead of absolute; but in the very act of this settlement, King Edward died, and the task was left to his successor, George V. Shortly before midnight on Friday, May 6th, 1910, the tolling of the great bell of St. Paul's announced that Edward the Peacemaker had passed away.

INDEX