me before
mutual understanding has grown up to the point at which it stood more
than a century ago, and as you and I desire it in the well-understood
interests of England and Germany, still I hope and am persuaded that the
relations of the two Governments will remain good."

A year after the visit I had paid to Berlin the Emperor came over to
stay with King Edward at Windsor. This was in November, 1907. The visit
lasted several days, and I was present most of the time. The Emperor was
accompanied by Baron von Schoen, who had become Foreign Minister of
Prussia, after having been Ambassador to the Court of Russia, and by
General von Einem, the War Minister, whose inclusion in the invitation I
had ventured to suggest to the King, as an acknowledgment of his
civility to myself as War Minister when in Berlin. There were also at
Windsor Count Metternich and several high military officers of the
Emperor's personal staff and military cabinet. To these officers and to
the War Minister I showed all the hospitality I could in London, and I
received them officially at the War Office.

But the really interesting incident of this visit, so far as I was
concerned, took place at Windsor. The first evening of my visit there,
just after his arrival in November, the Emperor took me aside and said
he was sorry that there was a good deal of friction over the Bagdad
Railway, and that he did not know what we wanted as a basis for
co-operation.

I said that I could not answer for the Foreign Office, but that,
speaking as War Minister, one thing I knew we wanted was a "gate" to
protect India from troops coming down the new railway. He asked me what
I meant by a "gate," and I said that meant the control of the section
which would come near to the Persian Gulf. "I will give you the 'gate,'"
replied the Emperor.

I had no opportunity at the moment, which was just before dinner, for
pursuing the conversation further, but I thought the answer too
important not to be followed up. There were private theatricals after
dinner, which lasted till nearly one o'clock in the morning. I was
seated in the theater of the Castle just behind the Emperor, and, as the
company broke up, I went forward and asked him whether he really meant
seriously that he was willing to give us the "gate," because, if he did
mean it, I would go to London early and see Sir Edward Grey at the
Foreign Office.

Next morning, about 7.30 o'clock, a helmeted guardsman, one of those