IN THE SUDAN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 November 1924, Page 5

IN THE SUDAN

NATIVES REJOICE. BRITAIN’S STERN ACTION AN EXCELLENT IMPRESSION. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION-COPYRIGHT. Received Nov. 26, 10.25 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 25. The Daily Telegraph’s Khartoum correspondent says that the British notes created an excellent impression throughout the Sudan. The natives are - rejoicing. A number of notable people • consider Britain’s demands insufficient as a reprisal for the murder of the Sirdar, whom they regarded as •i personal friend.

A SOVIET APPEAL. Received Nov. 26, 10.25 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 25. The Times’ Riga correspondent says that Moscow has been quick to take advantage of the Anglo-Egyptian crisis. The Soviet press gives prominence to a special appeal which the Communist Internationale addressed to the Egyptian Communists, urging them to continue the struggle and assuring them that they may count on the support of the proletariat of the world. —Times. CAIRO, Nov. 24. Zirwar’s Ministry is distinctly moderate in complexion. The personnel is as follows: Zirwar (Premier and Minister for the Interior); Alimed Zulficar (Minister for Foreign Affairs); Zaki Abou Seoud (Minister for Justice); Sidky (Minister of the Department of Pious Foundations); Sada Kychia (Minister for War). Evacuation from the Sudan of Egyptian officers and units is proceeding according to plan. The Duke of Wellington Regiment paraded at Cairo this afternoon.

Zaghlul had a great ovation in the Chamber. He said he would support any Ministry working for the good of the country. He exhorted the nation to remain calm in the anxious times. The extreme Nationalists accused him of weakness and declared that he had not protected the dignity of the country.

The House appointed a committee to examine dnd report upon various motions, mostly to the effect that the Egyptian Parliament protest to the Parliament of the world and to the League of Nations against the British action. . Hundreds of marines landed at the Alexandria Customs Quay and occupied the Customs offices. The occupation apparently did not interfere with, ordinary routine, and all is quiet. The majority of the population was unaware of the event. LONDON, Nov. 25. The news of Zaghlul’s resignation has been received with feelings of relief. The prevailing impression of the Press is that it'materially eases the situation. y Zirwar Pasha, the new Premier of Egypt, is described as practically a non-party man, about 60 years of age, but still an active leader. He is not an unattractive personality, having twinkling eyes and a genial smile what 7 ever the difficulties may be. He was formerly judge, of the Egyptian High Court, and has been a member of several Cabinets. More recently he was the first Egyptian Ambassador to Rome, from where he was recalled to become President of the Senate.

Practically the only dissentient voice is tlie Daily Herald (the Labour paper), •whose political correspondent says Egypt is being compelled to give up her great popular leader and accept a system of puppet Ministers, controlled from the Residency.

The warships'lron Duke and Malaya have been ordered from Malta to Alexadria and Port Said, respectively. The light cruiser Caradoe, now in Greek waters, and two destroyers at Port Said are under orders to proceed to Suez. The British troops in Egypt number 15,000, compared with the Egyptian army of 700. The transport ship Newralia is calling at Gibraltar to embark the First East Kent Regiment for Egypt. The Geneva correspondent of the Daily Express reports that it is unlikely that the League of Nations will interfere in the Egyptian crisis. The bulk "of opinion regards the affair as entirely domestic and outside the scope of the League, which must not become the last refuge of assassins or incompetent or malevolent administrations. The Daily Chronicle expresses the opinion that the Egyptian outlook is better. “Events moved rapidly on Monday,” it says, “but without a hitch from the British standpoint. No Egyptian Government can carry on long without the Alexandrian Customs, which provide one quarter of the Egyptian taxation, so Zaghlul and King Fuad had no difficulty in finding a successor. The British Government ran risks, but we can only rejoice if events show that they were calculated rightly. Let us hope that the bill of costs will not be unduly large.”

The Daily Telegraph says: “The era of ill definition, mere argument; sentimentality and fear of the world’s opinion is gone. It is not only in Egypt that our new-found resolution is likely to bear fruit. We have borne patiently with the hostility and tortuous malevolence of many Oriental demagogues, but at last our patience is exhausted, and more, than one Eastern race will do well to draw the moral from the present action.”

NEW YORK, Nov. 24. American papers are giving much front page space to the Egyptian troubles, reporting all tales and development by numerous cables.

The Evening Sun to-day in an editorial says: “It must be assumed that the British Government has good reason to believe the Egyptian administration either knew of. the plans for' the murder of the Sirdar or knows the assassins, or could not be expected to punish the crime if left to itself. There is no other tenable explanation of the ultimatum, which is almost as. astounding as that which Austria sent to Serbia in 1914.

“Furthermore, there was a good deal more than merely Egypt involved in the swift action taken by the Baldwin Government in the present case. Had Britain acted weakly, every Mohammedan from Cairo to Calcutta would have interpreted that weakness as evidence of the British fear of an Islamite uprising. In reading the Riot Act to Egypt in the way it has done, the Baldwin Government has read the Riot Act to all Islam, telling that methods of assassination are not likely to pro-

mote whatever there might he that is legitimate in its "nationalistic aspirations.

“The last word in judgment on the British policy cannot yet he "spoken, hut- this at least may be said that there is not a corner of the British Empire.hut knows there are now in power in London a group of men who have the strength of their convictions, the power of decision, and the readiness to act with thoroughness whenever they conceive the interests of the Empire demand strong action, even if that action is open to misinterpretation in quarters which cannot possibly be as well acquainted with the basic facts of a given situation as are the men charged to direct the destiny of the far-flung Empire.”