I fancy that every Chancellery in Europe suspected that something
was in the wind. It was surely not a mere coincidence that the grand
Fleet lay ready for action at Spithead and that the First Army Corps
was practising some very useful mobilisation exercises at
Aldershot. After all, our British Administration is not so
simple-minded as it sometimes seems. Indeed, that very simplicity
may at times be its most deadly mask. At one time of my life I was
much bruised in spirit over the ease with which foreigners were
shown over our arsenals and yards. Happening to meet the head of the
Naval Intelligence Department, I confided my trouble to him. It was
at a public banquet where conversation was restricted, but he turned
his head towards me, and his left eyelid flickered for an instant.
Since then I have never needed any reassurance upon the subject.
But there is another matter which will insist on coming back into
one's thoughts when one reviews the events which preceded the war. I
was in Canada in June, and the country was much disturbed by the
fact that a shipload of Hindus had arrived at Vancouver, and had
endeavoured to land in the face of the anti-Asiatic immigration
laws. It struck me at the time as a most extraordinary incident, for
these Indians were not the usual Bengalee pedlars, but were Sikhs of
a proud and martial race. What could be their object in
endeavouring to land in Canada, when the climate of that country
would make it impossible for them to settle in it? It was a most
unnatural incident, and yet a most painful one, for the British
Government was placed in the terrible dilemma of either supporting
Canada against India or India against Canada. Could anything be
better calculated to start an agitation in one country or the other?
The thing was inexplicable at the time, but now one would wish to
know who paid for that ship and engineered the whole undertaking. I
believe it was one more move on Germany's world-wide board.[3]
[3] Two months later, according to _The Times_, official
evidence of this was actually forthcoming.--A. C. D.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account