INDEPENDENCE OF EGYPT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17393, 2 March 1922, Page 7

INDEPENDENCE OF EGYPT.

A "UNILATERAL DECLARATION."

BfttTISH RESERVATIONS

; 9 ('By Cibls— AfsSMiitlOn^COf^riS' 11 ") (Aiistr&li&a and N.Z. Cable AsseeiMion.) LONDON*, February 28. Official.—Egypt has been created an independent sovereign State, subject to certain reservations, and tho Protectorate hfifl been terminated.

(Iteceivod March Ist, 10.25 p.m.) LONDON, February 28. Mr Lloyd George, in the House of Commons, snid the Protectorate was no longer a satisfactory form of relationship between the British Empire and Egypt, but at present there was no Government in Egypt which could give adequate safeguards for Imperial interests. Therefore the Government had decided to proceed by a unilateral declaration. In this course they ihad Lord Allehby's whole-hearted support. Martial law would bo abolished as soon as an net of indemnity had been passed. In the final clause of the Government's declaration four mattery were absolutely reserved to tho discretion of the Imperial Government:— ( (1) The security of the Empires communications in Egypt(2) The defence of Egypt against all foreign aggression, (8) The protection of foreign interests ifl Egypt and the protection of minorities.

(4) Tho Soud&n In the • suggested" Ceftvefitlonpro* posed by ihe Government on kovcmber 10th, 1921, and rejected by Adlv Yeghen Pasha, the clause relating'to the Soudan was us peaceful development of tho being essential t</ the secuiitj of LgJP and for the maintenance of her water supply, Egypt undertaken to continue to afford the Soudflu Government tho name military assistance ns in the past, or, in lieu thereof, to provide tho Spit* dan Government with financial assistSlice to an extent to bs ftgrfiod uppj* between the two Governments, A l'Vvntian forces in the Soudan shall be under tbo aiders of the GovernorGeneral. Great Britain further undertakes to foonre fur Egjpt her faugh are df the waters of the Nile, and to this end it is agreed that no, new irrigation works on the Nile or its tribtttafics south of Wadi Haifa shall be undertaken without the concurrence af a Board of three conservators repl'eRenting Egypt, the Soudan, and Uganda respectively. In his ntfltefflent Adly Yeghen Pasha said:—'''With regard to the question of the Soudan., which has not yet been discussed, we feel bound to point out that it has been made the subject of provisions which we cannot accept, and which do not guarantee to Egypt tho exercise of her indisputable right of Sovereignty over that countrv and of cohtrol of the waters of the Nile."