The Drama of Three Hundred and Sixty Five Days/A Conversation With Lord Roberts
A CONVERSATION WITH LORD ROBERTS
Meantime what had been happening among
ourselves? The far-off murmur of the approaching
wind had been heard by all of us, but as none
can hope to describe the effect on the whole
Empire, perhaps each may be allowed to indicate
the character of the warning as it came to his
own ears. It was at Naples, not long after the
event, that I heard how the late King had felt
about his last visit to Berlin. I was then on my
way home from Egypt, where I had spent some
days at Mena, while Lord Roberts was staying
there on his way back from the Soudan. He
seemed restless and anxious. On two successive
mornings I sat with him for a long hour in the
shade of the terraces which overlook the Pyramids
discussing the "German danger." After the
great soldier had left for Cairo he wrote asking
me to regard our conversations as confidential;
and down to this moment I have always done
so, but I see no harm now (quite the reverse of
harm) in repeating the substance of what he said
so many years ago on a matter of such infinite
momentousness.
"Do you really attach importance to this scare of a German invasion?" I asked.
"I'm afraid I do," said Lord Roberts.
"You think an enemy army could be landed on our shores?"
"As things are now, yes, I think it could."
"Do you think you could land an army on the East Coast of England and march on to London?"
"Yes, I do."
"In a thick fog, of course?"
"Without a fog," said Lord Roberts. After that he described in detail the measures we ought to take to make such an attack impossible and I hasten to add that, so far as I can see and know, the precautionary measures he recommended have all been taken since the outbreak of the war.