DEFENCE OF SUEZ CANAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 292, 1 March 1928, Page 1

DEFENCE OF SUEZ CANAL

Britain’s Guiding Hand TAKES GRIP AGAIN IN EGYPT Independence an Impractical Dream By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright. Received 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Wednesday. NATIVE newspapers in Cairo state that the following are the chief points in the proposed new Anglo-Egyptian treaty:— British troops to continue to be stationed in the Suez Canal zone. Airdromes to remain in British hands. Egypt’s foreign affairs to continue to be conducted under British supervision. The Sudan condominium to continue under the AngloEgyptian Governments pending a new special treaty.

A CCORDING to a message from Cairo, the newspaper “Alahram Kilbeister,” in what is regarded as an approximately correct forecast, says that the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty w'itl cover offensive and defensive measures. Great Britain will maintain her military occupation for 10 years, after which the question of future occupation will be submitted to the League of Nations, if a mutual understanding is not reached. Britain guarantees Egypt’s water supply from the Sudan, and agrees to the suppression of capitulations, under which foreign Governments enjoy wide powers of jurisdicition over their own nationals, giving Egypt a free hand to tax Europeans, and also the suppression of consular courts. The Egyptian army will be organised on British lines with an Egyptian Sirdar at its head. Egypt will be granted loans from Britain in the event of war, and all assistance will be given within Egyptian territory. The treaty provides for Egypt's immediate admittance to the League of Nations. Egypt undertakes not to

conclude treaties ■nith any third party without Britain’s approval. The Foreign Office declines to corroborate or deny any one ot the above points. It states that the papers will be laid before Parliament at the earliest possible moment, and they should satisfy everyone that Britain has made the fullest concession to Egypt. Egyptian Ministers are courageous enough to tell the people that the extremists’ theories of complete independence are a mere impractical dream, in view of Egypt’s geographical situation astride one of the world’s main sea routes. The official view in London is that if Britain left Egypt altogether, some other Power would eventually take her place. It is learned that the Dominions have been kept in the closest touch with the negotiations, and that they are in complete agreement with Britain’s policy as to their most vital concern, namely, the defence of the Suez Canal. —A. and N.Z.-Sun. FORECASTS MISLEADING CONVERSATIONS WITH SIR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN British Wireless —Press Assn. —Copyright Reed. 1.15 p.m. RUGBY, Wed. It is understood that the Egyptian Prime Minister, Sarwat Pasha, has now laid before his Cabinet the results of his conversations in London with the Foreign Minister, Sir Austen Chamberlain. The purpose of these conversations was to substitute for the Unilateral declartaion of 1922, which now governs the relations between the two countries, a treaty of alliance between Great Britain and Egypt. The Egyptian Press contains inaccurate and misleading forecasts of the draft treaty, which should only be accepted with the utmost reserve, pending the tabling of the papers relating to the conversations, which Sir Austen Chamberlain has promised to Parliament at the earliest possible moment. —A. and N.Z.