THE NEW MAN IN EGYPT

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1926, Page 4

THE NEW MAN IN EGYPT

(By the “Daily Mail” special correspondent, 0. Ward Price). CAIRO, Juno 14. How near this present month of June has brought us to another crisis in Egypt is quite unknown to the British public at large. The movement. of H.M.S. Resolution from Malta to Alexandria was almost the om'y outward sign of the dangers that were seething just below the surface, and there was nothing superfluous in the measure of precaution that sent her there.

But as a nation we have only too pood reason to know, by past experience, what a crisis ill Egypt- means. There is no part of the world where wo are less lible to tolerate a challenge to our lawful interests, for nowhere else are those interests so vital and vulnerable in form. Right alongside the most populous part of Egypt runs the Suez Canal, that artificial thread upon which the whole communications and transport system of the richest part of the British Empire now depend. You coin’d throw a cricket hall across it. and it is kept open only by constant dredging, but along that narrow ditch, day after day throughout the year, there pass in one direction the ships that bring us all the food and raw materials we draw from tho East and from Australia, and in tho other tho ships that carry the manufactured articles and coal by which wo pay for those imported nccessari os. A MURDER. CAMPAIGN. On another frontier of Egypt-, to the south, and reached mainiiV through Egyptian territory, lies the great area pf the British Sudan, whose reclamation and development have been the stiffest task in our Imperial history, to which we have devoted many millions of British capital that have not even yet begun to yield a due return.

Trouble in Egypt, from tho international point of view, means disorder and confusion at the cross-roads of the civilised world, for whose safe-keeping we are responsible with the consent of all tho Groat Powers. In its detailed aspect it implies, as a black and lengthy record testifies, the cowardly murder of British subjects many ol wham ha,vo spent their lives in. hard work for tho Egyptian nation. In tho last seven years thirty-five Englishmen have been killed in cold blood as part of the organised Nationalist ernnpaign.

Sii- I.oe Stack, the Sirdar, was the last victim. His assassination was on November 19, 1924, and the British Government, whoso policy of capitulation had encouraged rather than mollified the Nationalists, was at last stirred to strong action.

Its ultimatum to the Egyptian Government resulted in the resignation of Xagldul Pasha, tho Nationalist leader. A 'Cabinet bettor disposed to Britain took office under Ziwar Pasha. Since then until the end of last month tho situation underwent little change. But in the third week of May an overdue general election was held, which gave an overwhelming majority in the new Parliament to the Nationalists'. At tin; same time the Egyptian Appeal Court, by so llagiunt a rejection of plain evidence that the President, an Englishman in the Egyptian -Service, has preferred to resign his judgeship rather than ne-

quiesce in such r miscarriage of justice. acquitted sumo prominent nssocihtcs of Xagldul Pasha who were <ll trial t:r complicity in Sir Lee

Stack’s murder. CALLING ZAGITLUL’S BLUFF. These two events together stimulated tho aggressive anti-British passions of Zagblul to such a point- that lie announced his intention of taking ofiie.’ as Pri mo Minister in defiance of the British Government’s already proclaimed resolve to have no further* dealings with him as Premier. He was relying on the well-known ’British reluctance to incur a taw and was encouraged by the recollection of our suirenders in tho past to believe that he could use the Constitution, which Great Britain itsei'.f granted to Egypt, for ilia purpose of Hunting its before the whole world. - Fortunately since tho earlier successes of these Nationalist tactics our policy in Egypt had undergone -i change and passed into fresh hands.

Lord Lloyd, the new High Commissioner, luiil not wasted t!ic eight months he had been in Cairo. He had used them to remove, in co-operation with the Premier, Ziwar Pasha, a whole series of minor difficulties which hampered and obstructed our action. Tile sudden revival of Nationalist aggressiveness at the end of last month found Lord Lloyd ready to face it. Ho received Znzhlul in person., and without anything stronger than linn hut polite frankness showed how grave would ho the consequences of his at-

tempt to resume office. Zaglilijl himself said afterwards that he had been “Janrazed” at the new vigour which lie found in British policy towards Egypt. As ever with Eastern peoples, firmness inspired respect. Zaghlul’s open affectation of contempt for the British Government’s views quickly changed to protestations of a desire for better relations, and he allowed Iris own party to urge him to abstain frfim the Premiership on grounds of health. BRITAIN'S NEW STRENGTH.

By the simple but—in Egypt—the I novel method of showing that it knew I its own mind 'and was prepared to defend its own wetll-fpunded interests, the British Government and the British representative here have come suc- ) eessfully through a dangerous moment 1 and have defeated the first challenge | that Egyptian Nationalism has tried i to luake since the murder of Sir Lee Stack roused ns to action eighteen months 'ago. Danger in Egypt is not all over, but it has been greatly lessened by this incident. While we are still bound by tho mistaken grant of an independent Consitution to a country which has showed itself, so unmistakably incapable of conducting its own affairs, tho best we can hope for in Egypt is a Government which will administer as well as Egyptian deficiencies allow, whi’lo respecting our defined' interests and maintaining friendly relations with Britain. With Adly as Premier, even though dependent on Zaghlulist- votes, we are very much nearer to that state of •affairs than if we had weakly permitted Zaghlul to flout us again as lie has so often done before.