Berlin
and London. In this way were formed a number of valuable personal
relations which led to political friendships and resulted in a
conscious co-operation toward an honest English-German understanding.

These efforts continued until shortly before the month of August,
1914. One may safely say, moreover, that nobody has interceded more
zealously and more constantly for English-German friendship and
co-operation and for the removal of the difficulties that are ever
cropping up anew than our Emperor. The enthusiasm with which Emperor
William was always received in England on occasion of his numerous
visits, especially in November and December, 1907, again in 1910, when
he went to London to attend the funeral of Edward VII., and again in
1911, when he visited King George, would be absolutely inconceivable
hypocrisy, which we regard as out of the question, had it not been the
spontaneous expression of popular sentiment. Official English policy,
however, followed other channels. As early as the year 1907 Sir Edward
Grey had succeeded in securing from Russia an agreement which united
England and Russia in co-operation at the expense of Persia, but
which, indirectly, also affected German interests, the injury to which
was later happily warded off by the Treaty of Potsdam. It soon became
evident, moreover, that England, in concluding the agreement relating
to Persia, was in reality less concerned about protecting its Asiatic
interests than it was about including Russia in that coalition by
means of which it expected to put a stop to the "world policy" of
Germany and to check the further development of the German fleet. This
became very distinctly evident on June 9, 1908, when a meeting took
place at Reval between Edward VII. and Nicholas II. At that time it
was agreed and decided between Hardinge and Iswolski, not officially,
but in an oral exchange of views, that Russia would be ready to
proceed hand in hand with England in European affairs (i.e., in the
policy directed against Germany) as soon as it had sufficiently
recovered from the after-effects of the war with Japan and the
revolution. It was thought that this regeneration of Russia's military
power would take six or eight years. The scope of this agreement is
very obvious. Whereas Germany, during the persistent danger of a war
with France over Morocco, had hitherto considered it highly probable
that England would maintain a neutral attitude, it was obliged, as
soon a