POSITION IN EGYPT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21079, 16 July 1930, Page 7

POSITION IN EGYPT

AIMS OF THE WAFD. REVOLUTION NOT MEDITATED. (United Press Association.) (By . Electric Telegraph— Copyright.) LONDON, July 14. (Received July 15, at .10 p.m.) Makram Ebied Bey, Minister of Finance in Nahas Pasha’s Cabinet, is at present on a visit to London with other Egyptian members of Parliament. Hy denies the report that the Wafd or Nahas.. meditates a revolution and the establishment of a republic or a' regency. Concern was expressed by the AngloEgyptian Committee recently at the trend of negotiations between Mr A. Henderson, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and the Egyptian emissaries concerning the new Anglo32gyptian Treaty before their breakdown!. ' , “ Those .who are conversant with the many difficult and vital aspects of the Egyptian problem feel,” says the statement issued by the committee, of which Mr Wardlaw-Milno, Conservative M.P. for Kidderminster, is chairman, and reported in the Manchester Guardian, “that there are a number of disquieting features about the present negotiations between Mr Henderson and Nahas Pasha. : • “ Mahmoud Pasha has been succeeded, after an election where 30 per cent, of the ■ voters were illiterates,’by a Government of the Wafd, whose consistently anti-British record through years of agitation contains nothing to inspire confidence and much to' inspire doubts and fears. Nahas Pasha and his colleague in the delegation have come to conclude a, friendly treaty with Great Britain, but it would be a dangerous affectation in considering the possible course of the negotiations to ignore the anti-British attitude they maintained consistently prior to their return to power. The same anti-British influence is likely to .make itself felt in the actual administration’of any treaty that may. be brought into operation. “ Some indication of how this influence is likely to affect the administration of Egyptian affairs is revealed in the fact ; that since Nahas Pasha assumed office in Egypt in December last no fewer than 29 British officials have received notice determining their .appointments, while 14 are stated,to have retired, voluntarily.