The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, FEB. 21st, 1922. THE FUTURE OF EGYPT.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 February 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, FEB. 21st, 1922. THE FUTURE OF EGYPT.

The new system of government for Egypt to which reference hns been made in the cable news of late, will cause grave concern, to a largo number of moderate people. The fate of Egypt cannot be a matter of indifference to Britons who realise that the eountiy forms, geographically, one of out main Imperial linos of communication. First it may be noted that the new programme goes much further than was proposed in the Milner report of a year ago. The “Observer” stated that * the policy of the British Government amounts to the grant of full independence in principle to Egypt; while the statement actually issued by the Foreign Office announces that Viscount Allenby has been recalled to London to confer with the Govennent in regard to the present situation. Then the statement goes on to declare that while the Government is unwilling to see disorder or violence, it is prepared to make certain concessions “on their own ments. It appears that the proposal of the Government is to “terminate the protectorate and recognise the existence, of .Egypt as a sovereign State” and the conditions attached to this are that Imperial communications shall be assured, and that Great Britain shall continue to protect tiro foreign community. It must be admitted that these conditions are of paramount importance to tiro British Empire, and not only to the British Empire, but to foreign countries as well, notably France and Italy. It is just because one doubts whether, under uhe new scheme, of government, these conditions can be as well assured as they were under the old, that the wisdom of the new policy must be debated, if not denied. It may or may not bo true that the latest development in connection with the government of Egypt is a more 01 less inevitable consequence of the events of tlm past five or six years. In any case, ir> would seem as though the policy of the British Government with in the past year or two had been to encourage the extreme Nationalist party in .Egypt, and to surrender to their desires. This was put very very clearly by the “Observer” when _it said that the demands of the Egyptian i Nationalists have been extended since the Irish settlement and that it is on this account that the Govorn m c::

makes new proposals which go beyond the scope of the Milner Commission’s report. The paper adds that the British Government’s announcement “will make Egyptians gasp with pleasure.”

How far can this we true? The announcement will make an insignificant number of Egyptians “gasp with pleasure,” no doubt; and they will seem to those who are not fully seized of the true position, to represent the whole Egyptian population bocause they are the only section of it which is articulate in the assertion of political aims and ideals. But what happened before the Milner Commission? There was continuous rioting and disorder in Cairo and Alexandria. After the Milner Commission had reported, the gasping pleasure of the Egyptian public manifested itself in increased rioting and disorder. Latterly, there have been all sorts of extremist and essentially disloyal movements engineered by the very Nationalist party which is apparently taken by the British Government to represent the whole of Egypt. The Government has now determined on a definite line of policy, and General Allenby is now returning to Egypt to announce the new arrangement. The effort gives promise that once again the British Government is disposed to do its best in regard to a system of government which will afford the greatest good for the greatest number.