BRITAIN AND EGYPT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20438, 14 December 1929, Page 13

BRITAIN AND EGYPT.

EFFECT OF PROPOSALS.

GOVERNMENT STATEMENT.

British "Wireless

RUGBY, Dec. 12

After the debate in the House of Lords on the treaty with Egypt Lord Thomson, Secretary for Air, in reply to Lord Lloyd, the former High Commissioner to Egy<?t, after pointing out that the White Paper containing the exchange of Notes between Egypt and Britain could not be regarded as a draft treaty, said the whole purpose of the 1922 declaration was to declare Egypt a sovereign State. Subject to cer tain reservations the Government stood by that declaration.

With regard to foreign intervention in Egypt, and as to the risk to security of Imperial communications, the Government had throughout paid the most scrupulous attention to the opinion of military experts. Ho denied the suggestion that the removal of the British troops to the east of meridian 32 involved stationing them in the desert. On the contrary, there were places in that area which were health resorts.

Under the proposals it was provided that if the Egyptian Government did not maintain law and order, and if the lives and property of foreigners were jeopardised by its neglect, the treaty would be contravened, and he questioned the interpretation that it would in such cases be necessary to go to Geneva for a ruling. That point could, however, be carefully studied.

The vital interests of the Empire, represented as they were by the four reserved points of 1922, were met by the proposals. The Suez Canal, as a canal, was as safe as it had ever been, and probably safer.

The lives of foreigners would be just as well protected as under the present system and a treaty of alliance with Egypt would safeguard that country against foreign aggression. British rights were entirely established with regard to foreign intervention. The question of the Sudan had been met in the only fair and reasonable way, which gave absolute satisfaction to the GovernorGeneral, Sir John Maffey.