Winston S. Churchill: World in Torment, 1916–1922 (Volume IV) (Churchill Biography Book 4) by Martin Gilbert

Author:Martin Gilbert [Gilbert, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780795344541
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 2015-04-04T21:00:00+00:00

Churchill added: ‘A similar agenda mutatis mutandis must be worked out for Palestine.’ He wanted also ‘a short discussion’ on the places that had been transferred from the India Office: Kuweit, Bahrein and the Aden Protectorate. These notes, he added, ‘are only intended as guide’.

On February 18 Clementine Churchill wrote to her husband from Beaulieu-sur-Mer, in the South of France: ‘As I am here, could I not sail with you to Egypt. The sea voyage in the warmth would do me good & I should love it…. If not suitable for me to do so on so official & serious occasion could I not go to an Hotel incognito?’

‘The work is very heavy indeed,’ Churchill wrote to his wife on February 19. ‘Many gt thorny questions pressing for solution in Cabinet & my various departments. No time for painting or book. All work—but vy interesting.’ Churchill had planned to see his wife for a few hours on his way through France. But on reflection, and before receiving her letter, he decided to ask her if she would like to go with him to Cairo itself. ‘Overjoyed by your delightful plan,’ she telegraphed from Beaulieu on February 20. ‘Yes it really will do me good and I shall love to see all these new things with you.’ On the following day he wrote from the Colonial Office:

My darling,

I am so glad you are attracted by the idea of coming to Egypt and Palestine. The ‘Sphinx’ is a beautiful ship and we have excellent accommodation on board her. I am travelling at the Government’s expense, but I shall of course pay everything which is on account of you. I will let you know in good time when you must be at Marseilles. As soon as the ship arrives you should go on board and make yourself comfortable, or at any rate send all your luggage on board. There will probably be several hours to spare.

The people in Egypt are getting rather excited at my coming, as they seem to think it has something to do with them. This is, of course, all wrong. I have no mission to Egypt and have no authority to deal with any Egyptian question. I shall have to make this quite clear or we shall be pestered with demonstrations and delegations.

I have had a nice telegram from Herbert Samuel expressing the hope that you will be able to come too. I expect we shall stay ten days in Cairo and then go to Jerusalem. We need not yet fix definitely the date of return, as I cannot in any case get back before Parliament rises for its Easter holidays. The new Malta Constitution is to come into operation early in April, and I may take advantage of my presence in the Mediterranean to go and inaugurate it myself.

It will be above all things necessary that you should not fatigue yourself on this expedition, and I know you will let me be the judge. It would indeed be foolish if we returned without your having got quite strong and well.

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