THE STATUS OF EGYPT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17956, 5 December 1921, Page 6

THE STATUS OF EGYPT.

I The British Government puts the case for the continuance of somo measure oli political control over Egypt when it says that "any serious danger to the financial and commercial interests of Egypt invites the intervention of other Powers and threatens her independence." Egypt is tied by a variety of treaties to foreign Powers, the capitulations representing in the aggregate, a serious limitation of her economic and administrative rights. As long as Britain guarantees the safety of foreign life and property the signatory Powers are well content, but should Britain evacuate Egypt somej if not all, of them would consider it necessary to intervene in protection of their commercial interests. Against such action Egypt could offer no resistance and Britain no reasonable protest. The alternatives, therefore, are for Britain to remain in Egypt or to run the risk of foreign Powers establishing themselves there. As Egypt is on the principal line of communication to India and one of the principal lines to Australia and New Zealand, foreign intervention could not be regarded without anxiety. It was pari of the bargain that Britain should ' negotiate for the abolition oli the capitulations,- but the attitude of the Egyptian Government renders it doubtful whether progress can be made in this direction. In other respects the liberal policy enunciated by Britain will'< be applied as ifar as may be possible. The termination of the protectorate in particular is overdue. The name has always rankled in the minds of Egyptians, and it expresses less than the actual measure of Egyptian liberty. Whatever the attitude of Egypt may be, the trend of British policy must be in -the direction of enlarging' Egyptian self-government and hastening the establishment of a friendly, allied State. The development of this policy will be delayed by the failure of the negotiations, but there is no reason why it should be brought to a standstill.