Correspondence with A J Balfour, Sir R Wingate, Lord Allenby, Lord Milner and others on Egypt [‎57r] (113/300)

Will quite certainly be confused. The Mission will be
regarded as a fresh expedient for inducing the Egyptians to
keep quiet, an emergency measure, a sop to Cerberus. It
will revive hopes and intrigues and in fact keep the pot
of agitation boiling. So strongly do I feel this that I
really am not prepared to be fired out to Egypt merely to
meet the immediate difficulty of meeting Parliament with a
declaration of policy. The whole thing is doomed to
failure if we are going to let ourselves be hustled over
it.
^ Our immediate declaration of policy should, I thinks
take quite a different line and put Allenby, the
recognition of the Protectorate, and the restoration of
order in the forefront, while recognising that, as soon as
the essential conditions of a settlement have been
restored, a review of the constitution of Egypt, which was
always inevitable, and intended by us, will be undertaken,
after the Government has received the advice of a strong
Special Mission which will go out to Egypt to examine the
conditions on the spot. But this, it should be distinct
ly stated, is not an emergency measure to deal ?;ith dis
order, which must be dealt with by other measures, but
simply a logical and necessary development of what has
always been our policy - to review the constitution of
Egypt in face of the altered circumstances and the
definite establishment of the Protectorate. The date of
its going must depend on circumstances and no definite
announcement as to its date and composition can at present |
be made. Its objects, hov/ever, can be clearly stated at
once. They are those I have indicated above (see the
marked passage on page 1 of this letter).
I hope you are better.
Yours ever,
(Signed) Milner.