TOWARDANALLIEDVICTORY 209on 14 Julywithouttheex-khediveeitheracceptingorrejectingtheir
offerofafinancialsettlementonhisEgyptianpropertieswere he to
renouncehisEgyptianthrone.ThereafterBritainmovedsecretlyto
liquidatehispropertiesandofficiallyremovehimfromthesucces-
sion."
Theex-khedive'sdecisionto liveagainin Constantinopleespe-
ciallypleasedBerlin.TheGermansseemedmoredeterminedthan
everduringthefinalmonthsof1917 tosafeguardtheirfuturecandi-
datesfortheEgyptianthrone.Theyhopedtoreconciletheex-khedive
andYoungTurks,andtopreventhissonfrombefriendingtheBrit-
ish(althoughBritaincaredlittleforhim)."
Whentheex-khedivearrivedinOctoberin Constantinople,he
announcedthattheTurkshadagreedto placehimontheEgyptian
throneonceagainandthathewouldpersuadetheSharifofMeccato
giveuphis revolt.TheBritishbothbelievedandprivatelyexpressed
concernaboutwhattheyheard.AlsocontributingtoBritain'sun-
easinesswerethedeathoftheEgyptiansultan,Husayn,on 9 Octo-
ber, hisreplacementby ayoungerbrother,AhmadFuad,andthefirst
signsduringthewarofanti-BritishfeelinginEgypt.^38
InfactthePortehadlittleintentionofusingAbbasHilmito ap-
proachtheshariforparticipatein anyotherway inOttomanefforts
toconciliatetheArabs.Instead,astheGermanembassyinConstan-
tinoplereportedtoBerlin,theYoungTurkshadcoaxedAbbasHilmi
backbecausetheymistrustedhim,wishedto keephimunderclose
scrutiny,andsoughttodestroywhateverinfluencetheyimaginedhe
possessedwiththeBritish,French,Arabs, orthepartyofexiledOtto-
mansinSwitzerland."
TheBritish,however,persistedinviewingAbbasHilmiaspartofa
majorTurkishcampaign,promotedbyGermany,tograntautonomy
toArabiaandotherTurkishprovinces.Berlin,saidreportsreaching
theBritishinSwitzerland,was"preparedtosacrificethewholeofthe
ArabelementinTurkey.''"ThevisitofWilhelmII toConstantinople
inmid-Octoberfueledtherumors."
DuringthefalltheBritishdispatchedtheArabagent"Maurice"to
SwitzerlandandGermanytodiscovermoreoftheenemy'ssupposed
machinations.FirstthespymettheGermanministerin Bern,Baron
vonRomberg,andtoldhimthathehadonceworkedfortheBritish