ملف من أوراق مطبوعة مصنفة تحت عنوان "التفاوض المصري" بين كرزون وعدلي باشا والوفد المصري [و‎‎٥‎٩] (١٧٨/١١٧)

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Sidhy Pasha demurred to this, and said that their formula ensured the Financial
Commissioner’s right of access to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, at
the same time putting him at the disposal of the Egyptian Government for any mission
with which they might wish to charge him. Besides, on the assumption that he was a
financial expert, the formula placed him at the disposal of the Egyptian Government
as a technical consultant.
Adly Pasha said that what really mattered to the Egyptian public was that the
advice of the Financial Commissioner should not be obligatorily binding on the
Egyptian Government.
Mr. Lindsay said that he did not wish to make it obligatory, but it was essential
that the Financial* Commissioner should know all that was going on. If there was
going to be a treaty at all, it was essential that it should lay down the functions of the
Financial Commissioner.
Rushdi Pasha then interjected that if the Debt Commission was suppressed the
English official would inherit its functions, and that that should be quite enough for him.
Mr. Lindsay said that he feared that the proposal was not attractive, either for
him or for His Majesty’s Government.
Adly Pasha said that the question might be left open for the present.
Mr. Murray then said that it seemed to him that if a treaty on the lines advocated
by the delegation were concluded, the result would be to uproot the British influence
which had hitherto prevailed in Egypt. In fact, he thought that Rushdi Pasha,
speaking in this connection, had used the word “deraciner.” If this happened, a sort
of political vacuum would be created, and, as nature abhors a vacuum, something
would take its place; that something would take the form of foreign Powers pressing
for further privileges, with the result that in a few years’ time there would be not only
the present Capitulations to be got rid of, but a whole collection of other foreign
privileges. The Egyptians had not hitherto suffered from the extension of foreign
privileges, simply for the reason that British influence, and finally the British
protectorate, was there to prevent their growth. Mr. Murray thought that Egyptians
had been inclined to view the protectorate as something that was cramping their
liberties, and they had quite failed to notice how it really acted as a protection for
their liberties against foreign aggression. It seemed to him, therefore, that what was
really wanted now was an interim arrangement which would prevent the growth of
fresh foreign privilege until the time came when the Capitulations could be abolished.
Rushdi Pasha said that the Egyptians would oppose, if necessary by force, the
.growth of fresh foreign privilege, and if they were unable successfully to oppose it
they would turn to their ally, Great Britain, for assistance.
Adly Pasha said that the financial question was an extremely awkward one; there
could be no objection to the Financial Commissioner inheriting the functions of the
Debt Commission, but the difficulty was to find an excuse for his existence whilst the
Debt Commission remained in existence. In addition to this, Mr. Lindsay was anxious
to give this Financial Commissioner a general right of control over financial adminis
tration. He asked if it would not be possible to get rid of the Debt Commission in
advance of the Capitulations.
Mr. Lindsay said that he feared the foreign bondholders were just as difficult to
move as the capitulary Powers.
Mr. Murray observed that when negotiations for the abolition of the Capitulations
were started with the Powers, His Majesty’s Government could point to Egypt as being
a going concern, in which the Capitulations were out of date and no longer necessary,
but the proposed treaty with Egypt would completely alter the situation.
Adly Pasha said that in fact Great Britain wished to be able to go to the Powers
and say : “ There has hitherto been a protectorate, but this has now been replaced by
a treaty which provides foreigners with the same security that they have hitherto
enjoyed.”
Mr. Lindsay said that foreigners had no objection to Egypt being governed by
Egyptians, provided they could feel completely confident that it was being well
governed.