It was common knowledge that the great dilemma in which Turkey and Egypt found themselves had throughout hinged on the question of Syria. Without the possession of Syria the power of Mehemet Ali became insecure; with it he would be in a very strong position, because Turkey could only exist by his sufferance. In fact, the possession of Syria would give a tremendous advantage to either side. The problem was therefore to enable each of the Governments to prevent Syria from passing into the hands of the enemy. And there was only one possible solution――namely, the establishment of an independent state in Syria. The grounds for this conclusion may be stated in the following series of propositions: (1) That the _Sultan_, unassisted, was powerless to retain Syria. (2) That Egypt had no right to Syria, except in so far as lawlessness and violence might make its possession necessary. (3) That Egypt had a right to independence, if she could achieve it. (4) That if Syria remained part of Turkey, the independence of Egypt would be constantly menaced. (5) That if Syria remained part of Egypt, the existence of Turkey would be rendered insecure. (6) That the insecure position of Turkey would endanger the peace of Europe. (7) That Syria, being a conquered kingdom, had the right to regain her independence if she could. (8) That by the existence of Syria as an independent state both Turkey and Egypt would remain intact. (9) That the neutral position of the new state would keep both Turkey and Egypt in check, and prevent either from becoming too powerful. Mehemet Ali could not object to a solution on these lines. He would be protected by the _Sultan_, Abdul Medjid, and would be at liberty to extend his influence in other directions. But the _Sultan_, having been paramount lord of Syria, might reasonably claim some consideration for consenting to the independence of Syria. Who was to pay this consideration? It is at this point that we have to turn to the old idea of Zionism to find the only just and natural solution. Bishop Newton’s commentaries, Witherby’s moralisings, Byron’s poetry――to these lines of approach to Zionism was now added the tendency of British politics. A hundred times the promoters of the Zionist idea had been disheartened, a hundred times they had taken it up again. Now political developments offered the background for a new propaganda for Zionism. The Restoration of _Israel_, an idea dear not only to the sentimentalist, the essayist and the littérateur, but also to every believer in the Bible and to every friend of liberty, had become an actual question of the day.