EGYPT.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1919, Page 5

EGYPT.

UNREST SPREADING. London, March 20. Egyptian unrest is spreading, and the demonstrators have interrupted telegraphic communicaton with Cairo. A large body of Native opinion is supporting the Nationalist movement. The military are fully prepared to act if intervention is necessary.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aasn. WAVE OF NATIONALISM. The resignation of Sir Hussein Rishdi Pasha, Prime Minister of Egypt, is not of recent date. It was tendered in December, but was not at once announced. The Cairo correspondent of a London paper, commenting on the situation, recently said: To put it briefly there is a Ministerial crisis. This, it may be thought, is hardly of sufficient conscience to rank as a question of Imperial moment. Nor do I for a moment suggest that it is. But there are certain aspects of this Ministerial crisis which are novel nnd well worthy of study, For the crisis lias lasted now for a month, and for ail one knows may settled tomorrow or go on for another month. The Prime Minister, Sir Hussein Rushdi Pasha, an old and tried public servant, who has served three Sovereigns of Egypt in the highest capacity, to which lin Egyptian can attain, sent in his resignation to the Sultan on December 5. This, after a recent interval, was discreetly announced in the local papers. So far there was nothing to mark it from any other Ministerial crisis. The difference only became apparent when no new Premier was appointed to take his place. N or wft9 it announced that Sir Hussein Ruehdi Pasha's resignation had been accepted. Despite inspired paragraphs in the press that the crisis is about to be settled, it still remains a fact that the Premier and his ablest colleague, Sir Adly Yaghen Pasha, K.C.M.G., have tendered their resignations, that neither goes to his office, and that accordingly no Counril of Ministers has met for five weeks, with the consequence that no departmental business requiring to be sanctioned by a decree of that body can be settled.

Why did Rushdi Pasha resign? And why lias no successor been appointed? The answer to the second question, which I give first because it is the easier, is that no one has been found willing to accept the position. Several, I understand, have been approached, but neither among the Ministers who still remain nor among the Judges or e\<Ministers has anyone consented to fill the office. For Rushdi Pasha's resignation many reasons are given. I am inclined to ascribe as the real cause an attack of nerves, which has momentarily affected him and the class of which he is one of the most prominent members. Ruehdi Pasha is a very sensible man He knows that the English are indispensable to Egypt, and that the protectorate is the best guarantee of future progress. But there has been a wave of nationalism due to not incomprehensible causes, and Saad Pasha Zaghoul, the leader of the "Egypt for the Egyptians and no one else" Party, has put forward a "comprehensive programme" which commands the enthusiastic support of the youth of Egypt. This forced the Prime Minister's hand. If he was not to forfeit (.lie esteem of his compatriots, he had to do something to show that he too had a programme. As Saad Pasha Zaghoul had suggested leading a deputation to England, it occurred to Rushdi Pasha that he would do the same thing. And it was actually announced in the papers that lie, Sir Adly Yaghen- Pasha, and Sir William Brunyate, thg Acting-Financial Adviser, were proceeding on an official mission to London. Then something went wrong. Rushdi Pasha wanted to go at once. London asked him to wait until March, when there would be more time to talk things over. Rushdi Pasha felt that he could not wait, and sent to the Sultan a letter of resignation so worded as to make it difficult for any other Egyptian to take his place without incurring