CONTROL OF ASSEMBLIES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 26 April 1928, Page 4

CONTROL OF ASSEMBLIES.

NEW EGYPTIAN BILL. POLICE PROVISIONS REGARLED UNFAVOURABLY. (BRITISH OFFICIAL/ WIRELESS.) RUGBY, April 22. Tlio text of the proposed assemblies law which is to come before the Egyptian Senate on April 30 has reached London, .and is the subject of unfavourable comment in the Press, U hen the Egyptian Government rejected the draft Anglo-Bgvptian treaty which had been negotiated by Sarvyat Pasha and Sir Austen Chamberlain, they were reminded, in a communication sent at the beginning of last month, that the British Government could not permit the discharge of their responsibility for the protection oi loreigners in Egypt to he endangered by Egyptian legislation. The present Bill is regarded by the Press as having the effect of facilitating political agitation and weakening the hands of those whose duty it is to maintain order.

Among the clauses which attract comment are those which stipulate that police officers may attend a meeting, but can only dissolve ic in two eases—firstly, if the committee responsible for the meeting requests in writing that this should be done; or, secondly, in the case of grave disorder, in which event the meeting can be resumed if calm is considered to have been restored.

Lighter penalties are imposed on demonstrators who contravene the law than on officials dissolving the meeting in cases other than those indicated in the Bill. The terms of the whole measure are reported to have created misgivings among foreign residents in Egypt and among the Egyptian police, who would have to wait for a definite breach of the peace before they could take any executive action.

The Assemblies Bill receives further severe criticism in the London Sunday Press.

The ‘‘Sunday Times” says: ‘‘The most objectionable feature of the measure is that it not only licenses all kinds of assemblies and processions, hut provides for severe penalties against the police for interference unless an actual breach of the peace occurs. It thus debais the authorities from exercising preventive powers as a precaution in doubtful circumstances, and also paralyses the police from taking action because of fear of penalties.” The “Observer” describes tlie provisions -of the Bill as “a dangerous farce,” and adds: ‘‘By an almost unbelievable chain of perversity the Bill wouid not only discourage the local police from preventing disorder, but would penalise them if they took almost any preventive measures whatsoever. The Egyptian policeman is to be lined £1 in some cases, £3O in others, if he interferes with the holding of assemblies likely to lead to disorder. If he allows disorder to run its course he is to be regarded as a good and faithful servant of the new order.” The “Observer” adds that there is yet time to withdraw the Bill before dam-, age is done. “The Times” says that Zaghlul Pasha himself considered that the existing law of public meeting required strengthening rather than relaxation, .and it can only bo supposed that the extremists in or behind the Wafd party have simply made up their minds to impose an irresponsible gesture upon the Egyptian Government. Political exchanges in Egypt have almost always been accompanied by anti-foreign rioting. There are fully 100,030 foreign residents in the Egyptian towns. Others, especially Greeks, are scattered about the countryside. The value of their property is considerable, and in times of trouble they are regularly' menaced by local roughs, whom the Egyptian authorities have always found difficulty in restraining, and whom they will hardly be able to restrain at all if the Assemblies Bill becomes law.

Until the proposed law lias been definitely passed by the Senate and signed by King Fuad there is always hope that wiser counsels will prevail at the last moment, and that even the wilder spirits will realise that some gestures are neither dignified nor prudent