SUEZ CANAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 785, 7 April 1910, Page 5

SUEZ CANAL.

EGYPTIAN ASSEMBLY TO DECIDE. By Teltsrapk—Press Association—OoDjrleht. • : Cairo, April 5. The Egyptian Premier has announced that the. Government will abide by the Assembly's -forthcoming decision respecting the renewal of the. Suez Canal eoncession.

THE ASSEMBLY'S ALTERNATIVE; The importance of the Egyptian Premier's statement lies in the factP that the Egyptian Nationalists have been protesting against the proposed extension of the Suez Canal Company's concession, and it is-believed that Nationalist sentiment will sway the Assembly. l There are Englishmen in Egypt who, favouring the 'exteosion- of tho concession,-consider that the Khedive's Government; being in need of money, will carry it, despite any decision of the Assembly. ' Tho cablegram to-day is a direct negation of this view. According to the' reported statement of- tho Egyptian Premier (whose predecessor, BoutTos Pasha, was recently murderpc} by an alleged Nationalist fanatic) the Egyptian Government will adibe by tho Assembly's decision. An Egyptian writer who favours the extension of the concession, observes: "It is the Assembly itself which' is on> trial. If it decides this matter in such 'a way as to show that it has tho interests of tho country at heart, it will take a good step forward towards parliamentary government in.Egypt. If.it allows itself to be swayed in passion and fanaticism it wjll make itself impotent for years to coiuo, and strengthen mightily the arguments' of those, who' declare that tho Nationalists are not fit to take any part in the government of their country." T|io Nationalists, for their part, contend that tho terms of'prolongation of tho concession are. a bad bargain for Egypt. . The Suez Canal Company's concession has GO.years to run (till 19G9), and during that time Egypt can claim nothing from tho canal by way of tribute. The company offers, in return for the prolongation of the concession for 40 years (19G9 to 2009), to make annual payments (to be assessed) to the Egyptian Treasury during the GO years up to 19G9, and thereafter to divide the annual profit with the Egyptian Government. Tho Nationalists appear to think that Egypt will do better- out of the canal if sho sits tight, grants no extension, and obtains possession of tho canal herself on the expiry of tho present concession in 1969.