War by Revolution. Germany and Great Britain in the Middle East in the Era of World War I

THETHICKENINGPLOTANDHOLYWAR 71

estineforactionagainstthecanal.Furthermore,Cheethamhad
learnedthatthekhedive,AbbasHilmi,andtheEgyptiannationalist
MuhammadFaridhadinvolved themselveswiththeGermansinfo-
mentingtroubleinEgyptandpreparingtheway for aTurkishinva-
sion/
On 16 OctoberMaxwellinformedKitchenerthatwhilehehad
foundlittleevidenceofGermanagentsinthecountry,hehadre-
centlycaptured"anundoubtedspyofEnver's,"caughtwithasecret
code,mapsoftheSuezCanal,andtwo boxesofdetonators."The
captureoftheGermanagentMorsandhistrialinCairoattheendof
OctoberprovidedtheBritishwithextensiveinformationaboutthe
GermanandTurkishattemptstoinfiltrateEgyptwithMuslimter-
roristsandtoblockthecanal.MorsdescribedhowtheGermanagent
PruferandShaykhal-jawishhadsattogetherin ahotelinConstan-
tinople"copyinginArabicarecipeformakingbombs."TheGermans
hadrecruitedMars,thelattertoldBritishinterrogators,tosmuggle
detonatorsintoEgypt,alongwithinstructionsinArabiconhowto
buildandusebombsagainstBritishofficials."
LondonimmediatelyannouncedarewardforthecaptureofPrufer,
Kress,andtheotherGermanofficersassociatedwiththeOttoman
FourthArmypreparingtheassaultagainstEgypt.ShortlyafterMors's
trial,theForeignOfficeorderedMallettowarntheTurksthata mili-
taryviolationofthefrontierofEgyptwouldplacethemin astateof
warwiththethreeAlliedpowers;hementionedPruferin hiscom-
plaint."
BythentheBritishhadimplementeda seriesofmeasuresinEgypt
thateffectivelyclosedthecountrytopenetrationbyGermanand
Turkishagents.Britainhadidentifiedandarrestedanumberof
TurksandEgyptianssuspectedofspyingfor theOttomansand
Germans.Inaddition,Maxwellhadregisterednearlyeighthundred
GermanandAustro-HungariancitizensstillinEgypt;theysoonlost
theirshops,otherbusinesses,andgovernmentpositions,andthe
BritishinternedmanyofthemonMalta.TheCairogovernment
expelledthelastoftheGermanandAustro-Hungarianconsular
officialson 9 October."WithEgyptnotatwar,thefifteenGerman
shipsremainingintheSuezCanalwereorderedto sea,whereaBrit-
ishcruiserseizedthemasprizes."