File of printed papers marked 'Egyptian negotiation' between Curzon and Adly Pasha and the Egyptian delegation [‎35r] (69/178)

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at the present moment to discuss whether the numbers of British troops should be
2,000, 3,000 or even 5,000 ; the force was there for maintaining general order and
security. The P^gyptian delegation spoke as though Egypt was always going to be
settled and tranquil'. Did they seriously maintain that it was only when invasion
threatened, or when 300 or 400 people had been killed and wounded, as at Alexandria
recently, that they would come to Great Britain and remind her of Lord Milner’s
memorandum and ask her to help them ?
Lord Curzon said that it was quite impossible to draw what would be an
essentially arbitrary distinction between peace and war conditions, if Great Britain
was to carry out her obligations with regard to Egypt she must maintain forces on the
spot. If means of communication, barracks and aerodromes were to be of any use in
war they must be fully kept up in peace.
Lord Curzon then suggested that if these questions were referred to either of the
following categories of authorities there cpuld he no doubt what their view would be.
He would take first the military authorities. They would undoubtedly say that the
idea that on the outbreak of hostilities or of disorder a sufficiently efficient force could
suddenly be improvised to deal with the situation was preposterous. He asked the
delegation to consider a concrete instance : the recent disturbances at Alexandria.
If they had then had to send to Great Britain for troops they could imagine the
situation which would have arisen before the troops could arrive.
in the second case, he would take foreign countries. The Egyptian delegation
appeared inclined to ignore the view of foreigners. But supposing the delegation’s
views were accepted that the only reason for the presence of troops in their country
was the protection of Imperial communications, and that they should therefore be
relegated to the zone of the Canal, he asked them who, in these circumstances, would
be the first to protest? They must admit that it would be the foreign Powers—
France, Italy, Greece, Ac.—and he was sure that they really knew this. Again he
urged them to look facts in the face. His Majesty’s Government had no desire to
affront them, but it would be well that they should realise quite plainly that no
agreement could possibly be arrived at unless this question was satisfactorily settled.
His Majesty’s Government had to consider it from the point of view of the Empire as a
whole, and they would never agree to the idea of British troops in Egypt consisting
solely of a small force situated, say, at Ismailia. The delegation’s view appeared to be
that when war broke out, or when riots and disorders occurred, Egyptian troops would
be adequate to deal with the situation. Should they fail to do so, the Government
would then go to the British High Commissioner for assistance and expect a force of
British troops to materialise out of the air. This, Lord Curzon said, would not do.
His Majesty’s Government were, on their side, prepared to do anything in their power
to prevent the force in Egypt having the appearance of an army of occupation, and the
principles which he had laid down necessitating the presence of that force would not
be found, if they were carefully considered, to have in them anything incompatible
with the independence of Egypt. It was a point on which His Majesty’s Government
would not give way. He had no wish to threaten or to speak of an ultimatum, but it
was well that they should realise at this stage how this matter stood.
Adly Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. enquired whether they were then to admit that the troops were there
to keep order ?
Lord Curzon said that that was what they were there for in the last resort.
Adly Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. said that up to the Alexandria troubles they had never had to have
recourse to British troops.
Lord Curzon said that that was because the British troops were there in the
background.
Adly Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. replied that their presence did not prevent the Alexandria incidents.
Lord Curzon said that they all knew all about those incidents and who had brought
them about.
Adly Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. said that‘if there were no British troops in Egypt the Egyptian
Government would organise their own forces on a different basis, and that they must
and would remain responsible for the maintenance of order. How could he go back
to Egypt and say that he had agreed that British forces could intervene at any
moment ?
Lord Curzon said that he was sorry Adly Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. took this line. In his view there
should be no argument on this point, however much discussion and difference there
might be on others. He asked them to suppose for one moment that Great Britain
had agreed that her only responsibility would be met by keeping 1,000 men on the
Canal. Did Adly seriously think that such an arrangement would be welcome to
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