WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE 1917

300 WAR MEMOIRS OF DAVID LLOYD GEORGE
". . . from one of his own diplomatic representatives that the
Government of Germany were desirous of making a communication
to Britain in regard to a peace settlement. He assured us that
Spain had no desire to intervene or take any part in the matter,
but he could see no objection to passing on the news to me. He
asked whether His Majesty's Government would care to receive
this suggestion from Germany, or would refuse all discussion of
it? I told him that I could not say anything, but would send word
to you and tell him what you replied. But I pointed out that the
possibility of discussion depended on what the German proposals
were, and that they would have to be very different from those
so far made in the German Press. The Minister could tell me that
the message came from a very exalted personage, but would give
no further particulars."
At the time we were not told who "the exalted personage"
was or how the communication came to the ears of the
Spanish Minister. Since then we have ascertained that the
source of the Minister's information was Villalobar, the
Spanish representative at Brussels. Later on I had the opportunity
of reading the actual dispatches which passed between
Brussels and Madrid, and as they tell the full story —
a story which is full of dramatic as well as historical interest
— it had better be given in the original words:
BRUSSELS TO MADRID, 9th September, 1917.
I think that I have told you that the German Foreign Minister
Kuhlmann was my colleague for a long time in London, when
he was Counsellor to the German Embassy and I held a similar
post in that of His Majesty. We are united by bonds of friendship,
loyalty, and sympathy, and on my congratulating him on
his well-deserved promotion, he replied in terms of the most
affectionate character. To-day Lancken has received a secret
cipher telegram from him, stating that he greatly desires to speak
to me, and that as he wants an extremely secret interview which
could not take place either in Brussels or in Berlin, he would like
me to travel to some other place in Belgium or to come to