The Press Thursday, March 2, 1922. Independence for Egypt.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17393, 2 March 1922, Page 6

The Press Thursday, March 2, 1922. Independence for Egypt.

The earlier announcement that the British Protectorate in Egypt had been terminated, and that the country had been created an independent State, subject to certain reservations, is qualified to some extent by the Prime Minister's statement in the/House of Commons. Mr Lloyd George said that at present there was "no Government in " Egypt which could give adequate saffl- " guards for Imperial interests, and " thferofore the Government had de"cided to proceed by unilateral declara- " tion." As in this course the Government is said to havo the whole-hearted support of Lord Allenby, British High Commissioner in Egypt, who was recently summoned to London to confer with Cabinet, it is to be presumed that the terms of the declaration and its reservations are such that in his opinion they will be acceptable to the Egyptian people. l Martial law, which was imposed at the time of the serious riots in 1 Cairo and Alexandria last December, is to be abolished, matters are j absolutely reserved to the discretion of the Imperial Government. These are: (1> Tho security of Imperial communibations; (2) the defence of Egypt against all foreign aggreßßion*, (8) the protection of; foreign interests and of minorities in figypt; (4) tho Soudan. This bare outline makes it impossible to Bay to .what extent the British Government has. modified its previous claims under these headings, which were rejeoted by the Premier of Egypt, Adly Yeghen Pasha, since resigned, on the' ground that they had the effeot of investing the proposed convention "with the quality of an actual deed "of guardianship." The Milner Mission, in their report to the British Government at the end of November, 1920, 'recommended a settlement on the following linear— : Great Britain to recognise the independence of Egypt. A Treaty of Alliance to be concluded by which Great Britain will guarantee ,the integrity of Egypt, and Egypt will undertake, in case of war, to render to, Great Britain all the assistance in her power. : Great Britain to have the right to maintain a military force in Egypt for the protection of Imperial communications. * . Egypt to have the right of diplomatic representation in foreign countries, subjeot to safeguards for the protection of British interests; Abolition of, the capitulations, Great Britain to have the right, through her rej)r««ntative, to intervene in legislation and administration directly affecting foreign interests. 1 Egypt to appoint, in concurrence with his Majesty's Government, a financial _ iwlviser and an official in the Ministry of Justice. Prompt acceptance by the Government of the main principle of the report would probably have gone far towards . a complete sditlement of the Egyptian problem. "There is nothing new in "the recognition of'/Egyptian inde- " pendence by Great Britain," said the report. "Throughout our occupation " we have most carefully respected the "theory that Egypt was a. nationul "unit under the suzerainty of the Sultan of Turkey, and when we " abolished the Turkish sueerainty in "1914 we deliberately chose to " claim, a Pi"otectorate in preference '" to annexing Egypt or making heir '• part of the British Empire. We have "constantly renewed our promise of " self-government for ,Egypfc. We are "of opinion that the fulfilment of this "promise cannot be postponed: The "spirit of Egyptian Nationalism can- " not be extinguished." Unfortunately acceptance was delayed, and the state of affairs in Egypt during the last fourteen months has borne some likeness to that in Ireland before the settlement. If a settlement can be effected on the - lines announced by Mr Lloyd George,' which represent some modification of the Milner proposals in favour* of the greater independence of Egypt, another thorny problem will havo .been removed from tha Empire's path, and much will have beep done to rehabilitate Britain's prestige in the Near East and in the Moslem world.