Correspondence with A J Balfour, Sir R Wingate, Lord Allenby, Lord Milner and others on Egypt [‎136r] (271/300)

(2)
in telegrams to European papers c
Prime Minister waa very discouraged dotting month of
September both by attempt on life and fact that he ^os
making littlo or no hoadnay against united forces of
old Nationalists and followers of Said Zsghloulo He is
now working to divide these two parties and has obtained
a slight measure of suooees in that the press attacks on
himself have diminished,, He hopes in time to in or e os o
this advantage and. to form a party *
His pelig/ is ovidcntly to gain as much publicity
as possible and then, having ascertained general principles
on which His Majosty ? s Government arc prepared to grant
concession, to prepare publi .0 opinion for definite sott 1 ecent
on as liberal terms as ha can obtain from His Majesty's
G-overnment 0
He is thoi^efore strongly opposed to dispatch of a
British Mission which in his opinion would lead to open
demonstrations of hostile feolirg and thus strengthen hands
of Said Zaghloulc
I should add Mohammed Said would view v/ith dislike
constitutional changes involving responsibility of Cabinet
to an elected Chamber, Unlike Said Zaghloul and politicians
such as Adly Yeghen, he regards such machinery as unworkabl s
in Egypt's present state of development and he is probably
apprehensive that Parliament may be urged both in England
and Egypt to increase power of Legislative Assembly,
I report above situation at length by telegraph
because you may receive information based on rumours
in Egyptian Press that Mohammed Said is ready to make
terms with extremists. He might certainly resign if we
had to suppress an outbreak but so far as I oan judge
his emb it ion is to remain at hood of affairs and ulti
mately arritre ft an agreement with Protectionist power,
(24<>10 8/4) c
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