ZAGHLUL PASHA

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1186, 8 December 1924, Page 12

ZAGHLUL PASHA

STORY OF HIS CAREER. INFLUENCE OF KITCHENER. Zaghiul Pasha is no sealed pattern agitator, says a correspondent in the London Times writing prior to the recent visit of the . Egyptian Prime Minister to London. He took up the metier late in life. He-began as a religious stftdent, forsook that early, took to the law, and thence on to Government service. When Lord Gromer left Egypt in 1907 Zaghiul had already so distinguished himself in the work of Government administration that the British Agent, at the close of his valedictory address, with a flash of prophetic" acumen, definitely named him as the man of the future in Egypt. He was Minister of Education while Sir Eldon Gorst was the British Agent, and it is said that it was then that lie realised what an important part the youth of the nation, as “trustees of posterity,” could, and should, be called on to play in an organised struggle for independence. Then Lord Kitchener arrived on the scene. The two men were too much alike in temperament to agree. They did not, and Zaghiul Pasha retired to the wilderness. From that time lie had devoted all his energies to the emancipation of his country from British control.

KITCHENER’S INFLUENCE. The Nationalist movement dwindled under the pressure of Kitchener’s influence. But Zaghlul’s activities never ceased. Gossip relates that, in an eilort to curb these activities by his favourite personal methods, Kitchener once sent for Zaghiul oil the morrow of a conspiratorial night, entertained him for some time with general • conversation, and then, suddenly bending a stern and plenipotentiary glance on his visitor, lie demanded in sepulchral ■ tones, “Where were you last night, Pasha?” To those who have, witnessed the turbulence and, be it said, fortitude displayed in the later phases of the agitation this must appear as a palpably ineffective method of suppression, but such was Kitchener’s authority at that time, that in the case of any other person than Zaghiul it would probably have succeeded. We lost sight of him during the war, but two days after the Armistice he definitely entered the limelight as the champion of Egyptian independence when he presented himself at the British Agency to demand the recognition of that independence by England. The incidents of the five years’ struggle that has followed are matters of common knowledge. THE BRITISH DECLARATION. ]n brief, Zaghlul’s policy has been to keep the Egyptian question at boilingpoint while taking stops to ensure the rejection of whatever Egyptian politician was in power of every offer of independence which was not accompanied by a promise to withdraw British control from the Sudan and the British Army from Egypt. But, fortunately, and particularly so for Zaglilul Pasha himself, Britain has so determined to rectify her previous mistakes in neglecting opportunities to satisfy legitimate Egyptian aspirations that she proceeded to a unilateral declaration of the independence of Egypt. She further took steps to ensure the passage of the Constitution which endowed Egypt with Parliamentary Government, thereby providing Zaghiul with the opportunity to assume control of tho destinies of Egypt. But such were liis influence and the strength of his opposition that it was necessary to exile him while these changes "were being instituted.. He was allowed to return when the stage was rcadv for him.

LORD CROMER’S TRIBUTE. The high opinion Lord Cromer held of Zaghiul Pasha may be gathered from the following extract from his farewell speech in Egypt;—“Unless I am much mistaken, a career ot great usefulness lies before the present Minister of Education, Saad Zaghiul Pasha. He possesses all the qualities to serve his country. He is honest; lie is capable; he has the courage of his convictions. These are high qualifications. He should go far.” In a character sketch of the late Prime Minister of Egypt, Mr Murray Harris, writing in the Illustrated London News of September 27, says; “Egypt as she is to-day is the work of Lord Cromer, the Administrator; Lord Kitchener, tho,soldier; and Saad Zagh]ul Pasha, the Nationalist. If the two former were among us now, the outcome of recent events in Egypt might very well have been different. ATTEMPT ON ZAGHLUL’S LIFE. Zaghiul Pasha showed great personal courage by his unconcern on the occasion of the recent attempt on his life. The story goes that he was leaning out of the carriage window at the station, addressing the crowd, which never failed to accompany his goings and comings, and was expressing his pride at the confidence the nation put in him, adding, “l pray God He will curb any undue exaltation I, as a human being, cannot but feel on being acclaimed like this,” when at that very moment his misguided assailant shot, him in the shoulder. He showed his courage, too, by repeatedly braving exile, which might have proved fatal to a man of his age and indifferent health. “His intractability,” wrote Mr Harris, “will he the main obstacle for tho success of the forthcoming negotiations. Among his own people lie is looked upon as the symbol of Egypt for the Egyptians, to the exclusion of all foreign influence, he it European or Turkish—and. as such, as an epitome of tho spirit of modern Egypt.”