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Correspondence with A J Balfour, Sir R Wingate, Lord Allenby, Lord Milner and others on Egypt [11r] (21/300)
The record is made up of 1 file (150 folios). It was created in 12 Dec 1918-13 Mar 1920. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
9
including that of the Sultan, if he consented to hold office, but I have no assurance in
this regard. In any case some clear pronouncement from the Sultan is essential. I
should recommend that His Highness be asked to sign a rescript to the new Prime
Minister, the exact terms of which would be previously telegraphed for your approval.
It would contain a denunciation of extremist movement and a promise of wholehearted
support to new Cabinet, which can only be taken from among convinced British
sympathisers. Such a rescript is probably best means of giving effect to the sense of
your telegram No. 1509, as I understand it, but I should warn His Majesty’s
Government that it may be difficult to obtain the Sultan’s signature to a document
which will be presumably repugnant to him, without a clear intimation that a refusal to
comply may involve sacrifice of his own position. You will no doubt inform me to what
extent above procedure is consistent with present political situation. I have fully
appreciated the undesirability of a serious crisis in Egyptian affairs at this juncture, and
have spared no effort to find a solution acceptable to His Majesty’s Government.
No. 12.
Mr. Balfour to Sir R. Winqate.
(No. 1558.)
(Telegraphic.) Foreign Office, December 23, 1918.
YOUR telegram No. 1901.
You are authorised to advise Sultan to accept resignation of Rushdy Cabinet, and
a new Government should be formed. Either Mazlous
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
or Sirry
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
would be
acceptable as Prime Minister.
As regards pronouncement by Sultan it would be inconvenient and unfortunate if
we had to depose His Highness, or if he were to resign at the present moment, and
much capital could be made out of such a turn of events. Y r ou should therefore
endeavour to avoid it. Time has probably passed at which denunciation of extremist
movement by the Sultan would have served a useful purpose, and we might be satisfied
with a promise of wholehearted support to the new Cabinet. In any case you should
submit terms of proposed rescript.
You should take all necessary measures to prevent spread of any seditious
agitation, but no undue haste need be shown in solving Ministerial crisis so long as
the Government can be carried on without inconvenience. A little delay and time for
reflection may bring native authorities to a more reasonable frame of mind.
What were Egyptian rights under Turkish suzerainty to which Adly
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
referred ?*
* For reply to this question, see No. 17.
No. 13.
Sir R. Wingate to Mr. Balfour.—(Received December 24.)
(No. 1928.)
(Telegraphic.) Cairo, December 23, 1918.
SIRRY
PASHA
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
, Minister next in seniority to the President of the Council, has
appealed to me to recommend His Majesty’s Government to treat the crisis in a
manner which would permit Ministers who have resigned to retain their posts. He
considers the outstanding fact to be that his two colleagues are too weak to take
responsibility when confronted with a violent outburst of popular feeling, and that this
feeling itself is based on misconception of the principles to be interpreted at Peace
Congress. He assures me that if Rushdy or Adly Pashas were allowed to go to
London at an early date and to get into touch with the Foreign Office they would be
ready to proceed thither in their official capacity. Some preliminary discussion could
take place while decisions of His Majesty’s Government would be reserved for a more
convenient moment. The fact of the departure of the Ministers would ease the
situation and give them the opportunity of influencing opinion on sounder lines.
Sirry
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
is no doubt acting with the knowledge of the Prime Minister. The
situation is in some respects not dissimilar to that which existed in November 1914,
when the Egyptian Cabinet desired to resign rather than be responsible for the
declaration of the state of war with Turkey, but undertook to remain on publication of
official correspondence of the
agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
declaring that they administered only routine
direction of civil administration.
[1238] D
\L
About this item
- Content
The file contains official and private correspondence, memoranda, and reports relating to political affairs in Egypt. The correspondents and authors are officials at the Foreign Office (Lord Curzon was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at the time), War Office, Air Ministry, Admiralty, Colonial Office, Board of Trade, Board of Education, as well as those within the Egyptian civil service.
The papers discuss the situation in Egypt following unrest by nationalists in 1919, including how to respond to the crisis, accounts of events on the ground, and plans to form a special mission to investigate the causes and propose solutions. Several pages of Curzon's manuscript notes are contained in the file.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (150 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order, from the front to the rear.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 150, these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Correspondence with A J Balfour, Sir R Wingate, Lord Allenby, Lord Milner and others on Egypt [11r] (21/300), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/259, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100075118298.0x000016> [accessed 30 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F112/259
- Title
- Correspondence with A J Balfour, Sir R Wingate, Lord Allenby, Lord Milner and others on Egypt
- Pages
- 1r:14v, 28r:33v, 54r:54v, 67r:69v, 79v, 84r:85v, 119r:120v, 126r:150v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence