London, 22 October 1886 

Dear Ede, 

This is to inform you that our friend Belfort Bax will probably be 
visiting you towards the end of this month. He is a thoroughly good 
sort, very erudite, especially in German philosophy, and speaks Ger- 
man, though in all political matters he’s of a childlike innocence that 
can drive one to despair and is also much in evidence in The Common- 
weal. But among the ‘eddicated’ here he and Aveling are the only 
ones who not only are in earnest where the cause is concerned, but 
also devote some study to it. 

Kautsky will have informed you about the legal niceties involved 
in getting married over here; I hope it can be arranged. 

As regards Becker, * August writes to say he has asked you to 
clarify matters with the old man. I trust you have already written to 
him — the old man—, as it is something he has very much at heart. 
August says that Becker is already getting an annual allowance of 200 
frs from the party —I know I had omitted one item from the amounts 
I had stated °; this was it. I merely raise the point lest the impression 

4 Johann Philipp Becker-” See this volume, p. 501. 

should have been given that Becker had concealed it from me, which 
was not the case. 

If the stories put about by the Zankovists in Sofia are true °°° 
Alexander IIT can safely recall his discredited Kaulbars, °°* for he 
will then have everything he wants. It will be an improved version of 
the treaty of Unkiar-Skelessi 3’ (1839, see Louis Blanc, Dix ans, * 
where it is set out in the last volume). The Black Sea will then belong to 
him and Constantinople will be his for the asking. This would be the 
result of the appropriation of parts of Turkey, namely Bosnia 
and Egypt, by Austria and Britain respectively, who thus revealed 
themselves in Constantinople as Russia’s equals when it came to plun- 
dering Turkey. That was why the peace-loving Gladstone had to 
bombard Alexandria and wage war in the Sudan. °°*— However the 
story is being contested and it is probable that no formal agreement has 
yet been concluded; but at all events we must watch out for further 
news of the affair. For even if it were true, Austria in particular would 
try to hush it up lest it be compelled to attack before the Russians 
really showed signs of occupying the Dardanelles, 1. e. when it was too 
late. 

Meanwhile Alexander seems to have gone really insane —he is 
said to have taken one of his aides-de-camp for a Nihilist 35° and shot 
him —, while old William?” is going rapidly downhill. The Russian 
revolution -— be it ushered in by a palace revolution— is becoming 
more necessary than ever and would at once help to clear up the 
whole wretched business. 

Your 
F.E.