LORD KITCHENER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1235, 18 September 1911, Page 5

LORD KITCHENER.

DEPARTS FOR EGYPT,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. September IS, 0.50 n.m.)

London, September 17.

Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener has departed for Egypt to take up his duties as British Agent, in succession to the late Sir Eldon Gorst.

THE RULER. OF THE NILE

Lord Kitchener's full titlo is Minister Plenipotentiary and Consul-General, and his salary is ,£7OOO a year. Like any other Minister resident at a foreign Court ho is the authorised exponent of the views and wishes of his Government to the Government of Egypt. But our position in Egypt differentiates him from other diplomatic agents. Great Britain exercises a veiled protectorate in Egypt, and this protectorato gives to its diplomatic representative higher authority than any of his foreign colleagues. In reality, though not in name, Lord Kitchener will be tho arbiter of Egyptian policy, and will bo responsible, under the British Government, for the administration of Egypt and the Sudan. Egypt acknowledges a nominal allegiance to its suzerain, tho Sultan of Turkey. The Khedive, however, is the ruler of the country and in theory decides the policy of his Government. But tho ultimate responsibility rests with the British Government, and tho Khedive is bound to accept the advice of the British Minister.

In Egypt and in the Sudan are many British officials engaged in the work of internal reform. They are nominally tho servants of the Khedive. In theory the British Agent has no control over them, but in reality these officials are his instruments in. the administration of the country, and without his sanction they may not be dismissed or over-ruled. The Khedive may neither nominate nor maintain in office any person whom the British Plenipotentiary seriously objects to as likely to obstruct the policy of tho British Government in Egypt. The Egyptian territory for the administration of which Lord Kitchener will bo responsible to the British Government covers an area of 400,000 square mile, and has a population of over 10,000,000. He will also have indirect responsibilities in tho Sudan, which has an area of 950,000 square miles and a population estimated at nearly 2,500,000.