MALET, SIR EDWARD BALDWIN, 4th baronet 1908), British diplomatist, 2nd son of Sir Alexander Malet, 2nd baronet, was born at The Hague on Oct. so, 1837. He was educated at Eton, and entered the diplomatic service in 1854 at the age of 17. He served as attache to his father at Frankfurt, returning to England to take his degree at Corpus Christi college, Oxford, in 1856. He then held various diplomatic posts at Brussels (1858), Parana, Argentina (186o), Rio de Janeiro (1860, Washington 0860 and Lisbon (1865). Malet rejoined Lord Lyons, with whom he had worked in Washington, on the latter's transfer to Constantinople (1865). In 1867 he went to Paris, also with Lord Lyons, who sent him, after the battle of Sedan, on a mission to Count Bismarck, which resulted in Jules Favre's interview with Bismarck. For his services from March 19 to June 6, 1871, in charge of the Paris embassy while Lord Lyons was with the French Government at Versailles, Malet was awarded the C.B. He then held appointments as secretary of legation at Peking (1871), Athens, Rome (1875, becoming secretary to embassy in 1876), and Constantinople (1878). Owing to the ill-health of Sir A. H. Layard, Malet was given provisional rank as minister pleni potentiary.
In 1879 Malet became British agent and consul-general in Egypt. He held this post in 1881 during the revolt of the Egyptian army, and recommended intervention by Turkey under European con trol, or by France and Great Britain. When European diplomatic
representatives moved to Alexandria, Malet did his utmost to reassure the Europeans. While engaged on plans for their protec tion, he was obliged by a sudden illness to return to England. He returned to Egypt on Aug. 1o, and after the battle of Tal-el-Kebir (Sept. 13, 1882) obtained the commutation of the death sentence on the defeated Arabi to one of perpetual banishment. After help ing Lord Dufferin to draw up and carry out his scheme of reorgani zation, he was promoted (Sept. 5883) to the post of British envoy at Brussels. In 1884 he was transferred as ambassador to Berlin, where he took part in many important negotiations during his i r years in office. He was made G.C.M.G. in 1885, and G.C.B. in 1886. After his retirement in 1895 he was appointed (1899) a member of the international court of arbitration at The Hague. He succeeded his brother, Henry Charles Eden, in the baronetcy in 1904. He died at Chorley Wood, Hertfordshire, on June 19o8.
Malet published Shifting Scenes (1901). The memoir of his service in Egypt was completed from his correspondence after his death and privately circulated in 1909.