TAA i.2.1.95
© Griffith Institute,
University of Oxford
Dec. 14.
Placed door of outer shrine in its case. Examined roof sections
of Shrine.
MRS Harkness, Mrs Lythgoe, and Miss Stillman visited the Tomb and
Lab.
15.
Removed objects and folding doors from of outer shrine to Lab.
Received pm. wire from Tottenham asking me to go to Cairo
and meet him with <and> Minister (P. W. D.) regarding matter of
Eg. Gov's. proposals discussed with Lacau to which I had already
given my refusal to accept.
16.
Arranged to go to Cairo Monday 17th.
Gardiner came & copied hieratic and other inscriptions.
Lifted one section of the roof of the outer shrine preparatory to its
removal. Discovered that the shrine is held together with
large bronze or copper dowels at the four corners of the cornice
besides having interlocking and tongued sections.
Prepared chamber for press visits on the morrow.
Mace left p.m. for Cairo to meet his wife & child arriving
Monday at Alex.
17.
Eight press visits, only one of which was from the Eg. papers,
and he not a boni fidesic {bona fide} representative.
Left for Cairo with Merton & Mert[?]
+⸳
18.
Saw Tottenham at his house (a.m.) who explained to me
the Eg. Govs'. attitude in the matter of visitors to tomb and our
staff - incorporated in the two letters received a few days back.
Saw Abd El Hamid Pasha Suleman (Min. P. W. D.) 4 pm and
had two hours conversation with him. It became evident
that the whole question of staff and visitors raised by the Gov.
was the direct result of local press criticism of the Gov's and the
P. W. D. Mins actions since[?]. In fact the Min. admitted it to be
so and to save his face asked me not to allow Merton to
enter the Tomb except on press view days. His alter intention
was upon receiving a list of my staff from me to strike off
Merton whom he said he could not disassociate with the Times.
I explained my position in the matter, that Merton was a member
of my staff, & not secu/<o>nded {seconded} by the Times, and that the whole of
the press issue news was through me - he Merton not being allowed
to send any Telegram other than signed by me, and that I should
create a wrong precedent if I accepted such a proposition as
allowing the Gov. to accept or refuse entry of any one of my staff.
I said that I feared I could not take such a step or allow of
any such alleged Rights of the Eg. Gov. which was a direct
attempt on the part of the Eg. Gov. to interfere in purely private
matter[s] outside the terms of the Concession and that I felt obliged
to continue my work under the Terms invested me by the original
Concession. But, before giving an absolute final answer I should
like time to consider & confer with my collaborators. We agreed to
11⸳30 am the following day for that decision.
Mace had returned [to] Cairo from Alex. with his family - saw him early
in the morning.
Dined with Tottenham.