Correspondence with A J Balfour, Sir R Wingate, Lord Allenby, Lord Milner and others on Egypt [‎29r] (57/300)

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, ]
■2qY
SECRET.
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Printed for the War Cabinet. April 1919
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NOTE ON THE UNREST IN EGYPT.
I.
-Summary of Events.
"I UR first intimation received by His Majesty’s Government of any political
movement m Egypt was on the 17th November last, when the High Commissioner
reported that three well-known Egyptian Nationalists, Saad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Zaglul, Abdel Aziz
Bey ranmy and Ah Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Sharawi, had called in a deputation at the. Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. They
had advocated a programme of complete autonomy for Egypt which would leave to
Gi eat Britain only a right of supervision in regard to the Public Debt and facilities
for shipping in the Suez Canal. They asked that they should at once be allowed to
proceed to London, in order to put forward their demands. In reporting this visit,
^ ir ,. Umgate stated th at “in condemning in the strongest terms the former
Nationalist movement I offered frank criticism on various points of their present
argument, and warned them repeatedly that they must exercise patience, having regard
to the many important pre-occupations of His Majesty’s Government.” This reception
accoided to the Nationalist leaders, and the fact that their demand for the immediate
independence of Egypt did not meet with a firmer negative reply, were felt to be
unfortunate. VV e were placed, at the outset, in a position from which it was difficult •
to recover.
a 11 a hterwards Ruchdi Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , the Prime Minister, suggested that he and
A< ~ T 7^..’ the Minister of Education, should visit London in the immediate future in
order to discuss Egyptian affairs. He further urged that the Nationalist leaders should
a so be allowed a hearing in London, as “ in the event of their request being refused a
c large of inadequate representation of Egyptian questions could not then be brought
against responsible Egyptian Ministers, as might be the case if only the latter went to
xindon. He stated that both requests had the approval of the Sultan. The two
Ministers disclaimed any desire of severing the British connection.
These requests came at a moment when the Peace Conference was about to
assemble. All the energies of the Secretary of State and of the Foreign Office were
concentrated on the preparation of the British case. Moreover, Mr" Balfour, with
,ord R Cecil and Lord Hardinge, was about to leave for Paris, and no decision had
been taken with regard to an acting Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs duW his
absence. Lt was evident that if the Egyptian Ministers arrived in London at such a
moment there was no prospect of sufficient time and attention being afforded to discuss
with them the important questions of our future relations with Egypt under the
1 lotectoiale and Egyptian Constitutional reforms.
Six R, \\ ingate was informed that His Majesty’s Government desired to act on the
principle which they had always followed of giving the Egyptians an ever-increasing
share m the Government of the country, but that the rate of Egyptian progress
t ow aids self-government must depend on the Egyptians themselves. The stao*e had
not been reached at which self-government was possible, and His Majesty’s Government
kh no intention of abandoning their responsibilities for order and good government in
Egypt and for protecting the rights and interests both of the native and of the
oreign populations of the country. No useful purpose could be served by allowing the
" atlona Raders to come to London and advance immoderate demands which could
not pos*i dy be entertained. His Majesty’s Government would always be ready to
listen with sympathy to any reasonable proposals on tlm part of the Ministers or other
Egyptians, and would welcome a visit from Ruchdi Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. and Adiv Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. . But it
would be more convenient, in view of the pending Peace negotiations'in Paris, if their
visit could be deterred for the moment.
In the meantime the Nationalist leaders taking, or pretending to take, their
reception at the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , and the language held to them as an encouragement of
t mir programme, started an intensive agitation throughout the country. They
represented that their movement was, if not approved, at least countenanced bv the
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