BRITISH EVACUATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27291, 18 January 1950, Page 5

BRITISH EVACUATION

Troops In Nile Valley 1

Pressure From Egypt NZPA—Copyright

Rec. 8.20 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 17. The announcement in King Farouk’s Speech from the Throne that Egypt will press for the speedy evacuation of British troops from Egypt and the Sudan is regarded in London as a clear indication that Egypt intends to reopen negotiations with Britain for a revision of the 1936 treaty, says the diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Mail. Britain has said there can be no question of the evacuation of her troops from the Suez canal zone, where they withdrew in March, 1947, until there is a new treaty between the two countries.

The British Foreign Secretary, Mr Ernest Bevin, according to Cairo reports, is to meet King Farouk and the new Prime Minister, Nahas Pasha, on his way through Egypt from the Colombo Conference, and it is thought that the Egyptian Government will take this opportunity to broach the question of evacuation informally. In his Speech from the Throne, King Farouk said: “ The nation is completely unanimous on the necessity to liberate the Nile Valley—both in Egypt and the Sudan—from all kinds of restrictions on its freedom and independence.” The Prime Minister.announced that the new Wafd Government had decided to lift martial law. He added that Egypt was deeply grieved over the disaster which had befallen martyred Palestine and her refugees, who have been thrown from their homes by aggression. The Government had decided to strengthen the army, to build armament factories, and to send military missions overseas. It also intended to launch industrialisation plans to raise the country’s standard of living.