GREAT BRITAIN AND EGYPT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20991, 2 April 1930, Page 8

GREAT BRITAIN AND EGYPT.

It would be vdifflcult to hazard any opinion as to the outcome of the conversations now being held in London between the British Government and, an Egyptian delegation with a view to negotiating an Anglo-Egyptian treaty. The views of Mr Ramsay MacDonald and the members of his Cabinet upon Egyptian policy are very well known, especially since the publication in August of last year of the draft treaty proposals for a settlement of the Anglo-Egyptian question. But although Nahas Pasha, as leader of the Wafd, the ultra-Nationalist Egyptian - Party, expressed his opinions on the iniquities of the British occupation in no uncertain terms, as Prime Minister he has made no 1 pronouncement upon the proposed treaty beyond expressing the pious hope that the negotiations now being he successful. The proposals of the British Government for 'an Anglo-Egyptian settlement contain five main points: The military occupation by British forces to be terminated, except as regards the Suez Canal zone; an AngloEgyptian alliance to be established, with co-operation in foreign policy and mutual assistance in ease of war; Egyptian legislation to be applied to foreigners, and the jurisdiction of the Consular Courts to be transferred to the Mixed Tribunals; the status of the Sudan to remain unchanged; ambassadors to bo exchanged between Great' Britain and Egypt, and Great Britain to support the entry of Egypt to the League of Nations. These proposals, stated the Foreign Secretary, when they .were first published, represented- “ the extreme limit” to which he could advise the Government to go in its “ desire to achieve a lasting and honourable settlement.” The opinion generally expressed by all but the Labour members of the House of Commons and the Labour press was that the Government had gone quite far enough, or rather further than was justifiable, although it was conceded that the proposals followed in large measure those which the previous Government had discussed with Sarwat Pasha. Shortly after the terms of the proposed settlement were announced, however, a change of Government occurred in Egypt as a result of which the Wafd gained an overwhelming majority in the Egyptian Parliament, and Nahas Pasha later became Prime Minister. It is with the representatives of the Wafd, therefore, that the British Government must now negotiate for a settlement. Nahas Pasha was reported, prior to the last elections in Egypt, to have informed the British High Commissioner that the draft treaty would be the basis of the elections, and it remains to be seen whether the Wafd will have the good sense to accept the extremely favourable terms that Great Britain is offering, or will be misguided enough to make further demands for that complete independence for Egypt which even the Labour Government is not prepared to concede.