The Germans have no doubt a right to offer asylum
to a political prisoner in an English protectorate, but they certainly contrive to exercise their right with the maximum of ill-feeling and unfriendliness. On October 2nd Said Khalid, the pretender to the Sultanate of Zanzibar, who took refuge at the German Consulate when his attempt to seize the throne failed, was transferred from thence to a German cruiser,
the Seeadler,' and conveyed to the German mainland. What the Berlin correspondent of the Times calls the official view of the incident, sent to the Cologne Gazette, states that the transference took place "exactly in accordance with orders sent from Berlin. Armed with a gun, one of the Seeadles ' boats went ashore, and, covered by the ship's cannon, iEtched Said Khalid from the German Consulate." In other circumstances, we are told, it would perhaps have been possible to effect the transference of the pretender in a. less conspicuous manner, " but since England had thought lit to permit herself the luxury of a protest it would not have been compatible with the dignity of the German Empire to. have accomplished the removal otherwise than publicly and by day." The next passage is equally significant. "There- fore, if Said Khalid has been taken away from the English in circumstances 'which do not appear particularly agreeable to them they have only to thank themselves and their utterly in- commensurate protest." We have dealt with the matter elsewhere, and will only say here that the best way to meet such action as this would be immediately to annex Zanzibar. The only way to make a Power like Germany take a more friendly line is to convince her that every blow she may give will be answered with a harder one. It looks, we are glad to
as if this were also the official view, at any rate, as regards the present incident. Renter's Agency learns that. a cruiser has been detached from the Mediterranean Squadron and despatched at once to Zanzibar, nici. the Suez Canal.. Admiral Rawson, on the flagship the St. George,' has also been ordered up from Cape Town. It is understood, says Renter, that these reinforcements are connected with the flight of Khalid.
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