Prince Lichnowsky, who died on Monday, deserves, as Lord Grey
said in, generous tribute to him on Tuesday, our gratitude for his efforts to preserve the peace of Europe. After living on his estates in Silesia for several years in retirement from diplomacy, he was unexpectedly appointed Ambassador to St. James's on the death of Baron Marschall von Bieberstein in 1912. He was outwardly a most successful Ambassador, deservedly popular and full of appreciation of this country and people. He gave great help to Lord Grey throughout the London Conference over the Balkans. Unfortunately, he himself was being as cruelly deceived as we were by his Govern- ment. He was the honest man put up as a screen to hide the plotting. The real agent of Berlin in London was the sinister Herr von Kuhlmann. In 1918 his privately written account of his Mission to London was published against his will. It gave a scathing picture of the folly, duplicity and unscrupulousness of the German rulers up to August, 1914. We are proud to read in his book of this honest friend of peace leaving Great Britain " like a departing Sovereign." With Lord Oxford's death so fresh in our minds we cannot forbear to quote also this sentence. " Mr. Asquith, when I called on him on August 2nd to make a last effort in the direction of expectant neutrality, was quite broken, though absolutely calm. Tears were coursing down his cheeks."
Previous page
