a new political storm
was brewing in the Balkan countries, King Edward died, on May 6. The
hope could now be cherished, the leader of the anti-German policy of
England being gone, that the moment had come when it would be possible
to effect an understanding.

Dicey again began to argue for peace, the English-German Friendship
Committee, the Albert Committee, the Archbishop of Canterbury, The
Manchester Guardian, and The Economist advocated this idea, and Prime
Minister Asquith found it profitable under these circumstances to
strike the note of peace in a report which he submitted to the lower
house regarding the frustrated German-English negotiations. But he
included in this report false and disquieting statements regarding the
German fleet. Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg replied to these statements in
the Reichstag, and this led to the resumption of negotiations
regarding a permanent political agreement on the basis of the existing
German naval program, provided we would decrease our rate of building
war vessels, as we had already offered to do. It soon became evident,
however, with what little sincerity these negotiations were entered
into on the part of England. With the direct encouragement of
England, which renewed its promises regarding its attitude in the
event of war, France, in the latter part of April, and in outright
violation of the treaty, began its advance again Fez; and at the same
time, as if it was desired that no doubt should arise regarding the
solidarity of England and France, The Fleet Annual published an
illustration representing the German high sea fleet under full steam,
and under it were printed the words "The Enemy." As a sign of our
disapproval of the French violation of the treaty we sent the Panther
to Agadir, and in place of German-English negotiations German-French
negotiations were commenced. Meanwhile England, cherishing the hope
that a German-French war would now break out with certainty, armed
itself against us in August and September with might and main. This
fact was placed beyond all doubt by the well-known disclosures of
Captain Faber, (before his electors in Andover.) The Times said later
on that the year 1911 had brought three German-English crises, the
first in the third week of July, the second in the week ending on Aug.
19, (that was the time of the enormous and very disillusioning labor
strikes,) and the third in September. It is amazing that Sir Edward
Cook dared to assert under