Sat 28. [28 January 1911] Stayed in all morning with a cold and went
out to lunch with Selim. Came home and stayed in all afternoon. Mr
Devey came to call. He says Asali, the elected candidate, is the best
man. I think he is also a member of the local committee. He thinks
well of Sami. Dined with Selim and Nahleh Mutram next door. After
dinner came the head of Sami's staff and we had a long political talk.
They don't like Lowther, he has got them all rubbed up the wrong way.
They don't forget the almost ....... petulant anger of the Embassy over
the fall of Kiamil and the pleasure they showed at the short victory of
the Ahraa[?]. They complain very much of the rudeness of
Embassies in Turkey and of the foreign Consuls - they don't call on
their native ladies and generally behave as if they were above them.
The chief of the staff evidently fears our action in the Gulf and the
Persian roads - he said "What does England want there? we fear we
come into collision." They don't fear Bulgaria much because they
think Austria will keep her in hand, but they very much fear Austrian
ambition, the desire for the coast line of Salonica [Thessaloniki
(Salonki)], and they think it will break out when the Archduke comes to
the throne. They pick up little.