“I never heard of our Government having paid a woman; I never heard of their even consulting a woman—except Miss Bell—and, according to Colonel Laurence, her great charm is that everyone takes her for a man!”
The colonel laughed.
“I am absolutely independent; nor shall I send a word to the Press unless I want to do so.... The Government may exile me or send me to prison; so may the Turks. But I shall describe what I see as I see it; and if anyone can prove me in error, I will correct my statements and apologise.
“So few of us have the courage to write either articles or books in the spirit of true independence that truth demands. We writers should not be at the beck and call of newspaper editors. We ought not to respect their policy if it offend our conscience or the truth. They should follow our lead. Had we only had more esprit de corps this terribly false position of Great Britain in Anatolia to-day could never have come about.
“If the articles in which I have told the truth are not published you will know the reason. The editor has his opinions, and I refuse to change mine.”
“What about the British propaganda?”
“There is no British propaganda.”
The colonel laughed, loud and long. “No country,” he said, “has spent so much on ‘intelligence’ as Great Britain. Gold has been poured from her coffers. That is why she has been so badly served.”
“I entirely agree. We have squandered millions in the Near East—in Palestine, Mesopotamia, and everywhere else. But towards women no Government has been so mean. It is our own fault; ‘cheap labour’ is considered patriotic; and, after all, the Government could not find the money to squander unless someone was willing to take their pittance.”
“My dear young lady, the British are rolling in money.”