AN UGLY SITUATION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14011, 16 September 1909, Page 2

AN UGLY SITUATION.

KEllt HAItDIE AND CO. AGAIN. (Received Sept. 10. 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 15. One hundred and twenty Egyptian delegates, Mr. Keir Hardie and Mr. 6. N. Barnes, British Labour members, attended the Young Egypt Congress at Geneva.

Ahmed- Farid, Chief of the National Party, declared that they would never ask of Britain for a constitution, but of the Khedive, and that they would soon obtain it. ,

liamid Alaidy read a paper in English, declaring that it was not England's business to put down anarchy m Egypt any more than in Mexico or Poland.

A telegram was dispatched reminding the House of Commons of Britain's reiterated promise to evacuate Egypt, also one to Hilmi Pasha, Grand Yiraer in Turkey, begging him to use his influence with -Britain to secure the withdrawal of troops. .Mr. T. M. Kettle, Nationalist member for Tyrone, assured the Congress of IrclttmFs sympathy in the struggle and added that she had outstayed her welcome jn Egypt. Mr. Keir Hardie promised to defend Egypt's cause in the House of Commons. ' .

[n_cypt is nominally dependent on Turk-y . From 1879 to 1888 the country was under the dual control of France and Great Britain, but in the latW >ear Great Britain intervened nnd hi n'ce then has practically governed the country. In December, 1967, steps y.?r-> taken to organise the Nationalist j'Trty, and the party of Constitutional 'loforro. The programme of the Constitutional Reform • League include* the following points. The maintenance 'f the Khedivial authority; a demand for representative institutions invested v.ith full political and administrative "chvors in so far as Egyptians and .^•i.vptian interests arc alone concerned: primary education to be general and "ratuitous;. Arabic to be the medium W instruction in all Egyptian Government schools; posts in the Egyptian ''rvernment to be given to Natives tcc~rding to their capacity and merit with the- object of diminishing as far ns possible the number of foreigners in the service of the Government; extension of the jurisdiction of the mixed ■courts to criminal cases in whioh foreigners are concerned.]