ULTIMATUM TO EGYPT.

Evening Star, Issue 19855, 2 May 1928, Page 6

ULTIMATUM TO EGYPT.

"It is evident that we want to stay, and that the Egyptians want us to stay, in Egypt,” said a British Radical paper, commenting on the failure of the latest negotiations for the settlement . of outstanding questions of relationship. It is just conceivable that the second conclusion may be as true as the first. The explanation given of the double dogmatism was that “ they want us to protect their interests, and we want to protect our own.” Both desires—and needs—can be admitted, but it is not a relationship into which much affection enters on the Egyptians’ part. If the protection could be exerted from as far away as Malta, for example, without any obligations due on their part, their Nationalists would bo entirely pleased. Since that is impossible, and the British garrison, which makes the immediate protecting force, cannot even bo relegated to some lonely place on the canal, they seem determined to make the companionship as uncomfortable as possible for the protecting Power. There are two ways of opposing a guardian whose control is resented as a detraction from independence, even when it is most needed. They are by open revolt and by ingenious teasing, which can give equal annoyance to the stronger party without risk of any excessive penalties for the other, so long as it is not carried too far. The Assemblies Bill, by which the British Government has been provoked, can only be viewed as a display of teasing tactics on the Nationalists’ part. It is not to be supposed that they believed for one moment that the Bill would be tolerated by the British authorities, or that they had any intention of persisting in it once a firm veto had been pronounced. Britain’s business in Egypt goes one step further than the protection of the British Empire and the protection of Egypt. She has been made responsible, by agreement, For the protection of foreigners. The first responsibility, in that respect, falls on the Egyptian Government itself, and if that fails in it it devolves on Great Britain. The Assemblies law, if it had been meant to be passed, would have had the effect of making it impossible for the Egyptian Government ever to do anything else.than fail in it. In a Gilbertian manner, it sought to control meetings less by penalties on those who. should make disorder at them than by penalties for police who should intrude their authority .before an actual breach of the peace occurred. The police were to be mud* absolutely im-

potent for dealing with meetings before they, became riotous and beyond their control. The law was expected to be passed at the beginning of this week. But. before that time arrived the British Government .sent an ultimatum to Egypt, declaring that if the Bill was not withdrawn.by to-day it would 11 consider itself at liberty to take such action as the situation may seem to it to require." As on a previous occasion when Mr Baldwin’s Government preferred to take the most downright course with Egypt—after the assassination of Sir Lee Stack—the intimation has produced its immediate effect. The Egyptian Parliament met, and agreed at once that the Bill should bo postponed. It is a safe expectation that no more will be 'heard of it, unless some future Egyptian Government should choose to bring it forward again, when the present resentment is thought to have passed, in a modified form. But our relatious with Egypt evidently are not to be easy, ones, since the agreement reached between' Sarwat Pasha and the British Government has failed to find acceptance with Sarwat’s countrymen.