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FES UND HALBMOND

winters if I did not just miss you! You must come again to Friedrichshof—will you not? Your hushand will return to Berlin now and be glad to bchome again I am sure! I expect to see the whole of Berlin Court withthe ,Fez' on their head, and the ,Halfmoon' on their breast, since thefriendship with the Sultan is so great! Si potrebbe anche scegliere unamico piü nobile ? ? This modern Nero inspires me with nothing but disgust!Goodbye, darling contessina, ever your devoted friend Victoria."

Kaiser Wilhelm hatte in dieser Zeit unter dem Einfluß des ihm in Kon-stantinopel zum Ehrendienst beigegebenen geschickten und intrigantenAlbanesen Turkhan-Pascha trotz meines Abratens dem Kaiser Nikolauseinen Brief geschrieben, in dem er mit Wärme für die türkischen Ansprücheauf Kreta eintrat. In Damaskus konnte er sich nicht enthalten, in einemzweiten Brief an den Zaren seiner Begeisterung für die Türken Ausdruckzu geben. Nach Berlin zurückgekehrt, erhielt er von seinem „Kollegen,Freund und Schwippschwager", wie er ihn scherzhaft zu nennen pflegte,die nachstehende Antwort:

Livadia, Dezember 2. 14. 1898*

Dearest Willy,

It was very kind of You to have written two long and interesting lettersduring Your voyage — one from Constantinople — the second fromDamaskus ! I thank You heartily for them, I was particularly interestedin hearing Your personal impressions, as unluckily I had not the chanceof visiting Syria and Palestina during my voyage to the East. A few daysago I got a special report from Count Osten-Sacken , upon a conversation,he had had with You — the day he presented the picture of Your arrivalat Cronstadt last year. Your usual frankness towards him made me happyand I beg You to continue to rely upon him even as much as You relyupon and trust me! Whenever You want to have a good explanation upona question or if You want me to learn some news, which might concernus both, please, except writing to me(:if You have got time:) send forOsten-Sacken — in the future. I assure You the affair would in thisway be quickly and noiselessly done. I hope England 's arrogant conductis not going to last long. She seemed to be very earnest in the beginningof her war-preparations, but now that she sees the effect she hoped toproduce on the Powers — was not so great as she had hoped it would be,I am sure her martial mood will soon go down. I don't think there is muchchance for England to form a real alliance with the United States ,against Europe in general, and Russia in particular — as there are somany divergent interests . . . Canada or the growing question of the

* Deutsche Übersetzung siehe Anhang, S. 790.