GERMANY AND ASIA. MINOR.
rxe THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Yon have already called the attention of the British nation to the above most deeply interesting problem. May I venture through your columns to mention a few facts relative to the above which occurred just half a century ago ? At the time of Whitsuntide, 1848, I was Assistant (and the really working) Librarian of the House of Commons; and at the Whitsuntide Recess I went with my eldest sister to Frankfort to see what was going on there as regards the semi-revolution in Germany. The late very accomplished linguist and politician, the Duke of Cleveland, then Lord Harry Vane, M.P., came also to Frankfort, and got permission to attend some (not all, of course) of the deliberations of the diplomats assembled in Frankfort at that time. He very kindly asked and got permission for me to be with him on those occasions. Those who as diplomats were sent to Frankfort to watch events were all remarkable men :—The Earl of Cowley for Great Britain, Count Bismarck for Prussia, Count Gortzackoff for Russia, Count Cavour for Sardinia and Piedmont, MM. Guizot and Thiers (if I remember rightly) for France. The Germanic Parliament sat in Frankfort at the time, under the Presidency of Herr Dr. Simpson, of Hamburg. Bavarian artillery occupied the (now abolished) Fortified ramparts all round the city of Frankfort. The Chevalier Bunsen (afterwards created Baron von Bunsen) was the Prussian Ambassador at the Court of St. James. He also was in Frankfort, but did not show himself much. But he learned everything from Count Bismarck. The Whitsuntide Recess was drawing to a close, and I left Frank- fort for Ostend. But the sea was too rough for a packet to cross over to Dover or London. I went to a hotel, and there found the Chevalier Bunsen, and we spent from Saturday night till early Monday before a boat could cross. The Chevalier had always been a kind friend to me. On the Sunday he took me to his apartment, pulled out a German map of Hungary, Turkey, Greece, Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, Palestine, and Arabia. He said that his grand idea was somewhat as follows,—viz., Great Britain must one day possess Egypt, the Turk must be swept out of Europe, Asia Minor shall be the possession of Germany, and German citizens shall colonise Asia Minor. Palestine was to be the
inheritance of the children of Israel under the protectorate of Germany and Great Britain. The islands of Crete and Cyprus were to pertain to Great Britain.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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