Second Edition. THE WAR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 301, 18 December 1914, Page 6

Second Edition. THE WAR.

Egypt

DECLARED A BRITISH PROTECTORATE. [United Press Association.] (Received 2 p.xry) London, December 17. Official; Owing to the war with Turkey, Egypt has been declared a British protectorate with Sir Arthur McMahon as High Commissioner.

Egypt, including the provinces reconquered in the Soudan, embraces 760,000 square miles, with a population of about 12,000,000; Egypt proper stretches from the Mediterranean to Wady Haifa, but Egyptian and British authority extends over the whole of East Soudan up to the Great Lakes, including by arrangement with France, the Bahr-El Ghazal and Darfur to the west of the Nile. Capital, Cairo; chief port, Alexandria; capital of the Soudan, Khartoum, port Suakin.) Egypt has been nominally, dependent on Turkey. From ’79 to ’B3 the country was under the dual coutiol of France and Great Britain j but in .the latter year Great Britain intei’vened after Arabi Pasha’s rebellion, ami since then has practically governed the country. The British occupation, as first regarded as temporary, has Ijy force of circumstances become firmly established, and the predominant position of Great Britain was formally recognised by France by the Angio-French -Agreement (signed April Bth, 1904). The French,. German, and other Governments also assented to vfrj considerable modifications in the international arrangements established in Egypt for the protection of foreign bondholders, the modifications being contained in, a draft Khedivial Decree annexed' to the Agreement. H3I. Government; gave an assurance to those Powers that their commerce with Egypt should enjoy most-favorecl-nation treatment for thirty years. There is a British Agent at Cairo, who has a seat in. the Coupcil of Ministers, in which, with tire Khedive, rests the real legislative authority. There ax-e, however, provincial councils for local affairs. In July, 1913, the previous existing Genei’al Assembly and Legislative Council -were amalgamated into one, termed the Legislative Assembly. The new body consists of 89 members, 6G being elective.