SUEZ CANAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 787, 9 April 1910, Page 5

SUEZ CANAL.

EGYPTIAN ASSEMBLY REJECTS CONCESSIONS. NATIONALIST REJOICING. By Teloero ba—Press ABSoclatlon-rOooyrljafc (Rec. April 8, 9 p.m.) Cairo, April'B. The-Egyptian General Assembly, by 66 votes, to one, rejected .the Govern-, hient's proposals for. the extension of the Suez Canal Company's concession for forty years after its expiry in 1969. Enthusiastic Nationalists paraded the .'. streets of Cairo after the Assembly's decision was announced. Muoh passion, was displayed. ' "-.-,. The demonstrators raised deafening shouts'of "Down with Roosevelt." WHICH IS THE BETTER BARCAIN?/ The position with regard to the concession and the attitude of the Nationalists, were referred to'in Thursday's issue; in which there was also a cablegram containing a statement", by tho Egyptian Premier that "the Egypr tian Government will abide by the Assembly's forthcoming decision respect-. ing tho renewal of the Suez Canal con' cession." Mr. Roosevelt is jn the Na* tionalists' bad books because he told the students at Cairo" University that paper constitutions would be futile unless the people had the capacity for seif-govofnraont.' At present the Suez Canal Company; pays Egypt nothing, and under tha' present concession is free from.'-.. :any. liability to Egypt for sixty years,' after which _ Egypt would presumably t,ikc possession. The Company offers to pay a defined tribute to Egypt' on* condition that the 60 "years' life' of itai conclusion is increased to 100 years,/ offer ; the Nationalists have re-; jected, and they, think they will make ai better baTgain if they get possession, of I the canal in 60 years. A Cairo corres-'. pondont comments: "A 6 to their contention that Egypt' would benefit to a greater extent &• anciaily by- taking over the- canal 'iaj 1969, it is palpably unsound. Tie canal' has become so necessary to the commerce of all nations that' they would-' certainly not allow .the duos to. be raised, and to make the ■ NationaEst/ dream come true with the present rates ; in force ships wouldhave to follow .oner another through at the rate of one., an ; hour,, both by night and. day, which'i? manifestly absurd. • In/all probability the canal.dues will have to;be reduced/ again before very long, as they have been once already. -There isi this ;to/be, too. 1 In sixty years' /tinje>|. tho modes of travel and conveyance may, be as different from those of to-day aa tho latter are from those of 1869. There/" is the conquest of the air to be teckonecV. with. ■ "".' -v ■' s ' "In any case, it is quite possible tha# in sixty years' time the Powers might' decline altogether to let the canal,pase-' under Egyptian control. At all events, commercial opinion is very strongly it* favour of'• continuing. the. management of the company as long_ as possible./ If ione eliminates the business aspect on* can sympathise with Nationalist feelings, even-though one sees how. mis-; guided they are. But there cannot bal any doubt, looking at the a financial, standpoint, that the.': ro-j newal of'the concession would greatly] benefit Egypt botir at present.and im the long run.". . ■ .v c,