Report of the Special Mission to Egypt under Lord Milner, and related papers [‎50v] (100/473)

2
presume that the British garrison that is still to continue, would not remain
absolutely quiescent whatever happened internally in Egypt now that Egyptian
independence is to be complete. The extremists in India are ignored, and I
understand that nobody disputed the wisdom of doing so. In Egypt, the treaty
is made with the extremists. I, like the Secretary of State for" War, can find
nothing which makes it possible to negotiate with Zaghlul, which does not at
least point the way to a negotiation withde Valera or Gandhi, and I have only to
say that, apart from the conditions, for nobody can doubt the difference between
Egypt and India, the methods of the Milner proposals contrasted with the
method of settlement of Indian affairs, has enormously increased our Indian
difficulties. My police reports show this conclusively. My letters from the
Governors emphasise it. Let me quote : —
“ The general impression in Indian circles is that Great Britain has
been compelled to make Egypt independent, that the Egyptians have by
intrigue and violent agitation, gained freedom for themselves. They add
that those who advocate moderation and counsel the adoption of consti
tutional methods of political agitation in India will have to hang their heads
in shame and that a veritable premium is put on violence, anarchy and
anti-British intrigue. On one point Indians of all classes are agreed that
the concession of independence to Egypt is a grievous blow "to British
prestige. That it will greatly add to the difficulties and political com
plications of Great Britain in various parts of the world ; that its effect
on the situation in Mesopotamia, Persia and Central Asia generally will
be very bad ; and that it will also put heart into the Turks, who had
begun to despair of their success. In Indian circles the opinion is general
that the decline and fall of the British Empire has begun, that the^British
have degenerated, and that the process will be rapid, if what has been
done in Egypt is followed before long in Ireland and the oversea
Dominions.”
As I have stated in another paper, it is difficult for us to insist upon the
control of foreign relations in Mesopotamia when we have abandoned it in
Egypt. Mesopotamia has never been incorporated in the British Imperial
system. All 1 can say is that Lord Milner’s proposals may lead to peace in
Egypt. I can only hope that it may be possible to treat one part of the
British Empire wholly separately and without reference to other parts. I
envy proposals which do not require Parliamentary enactment, and have not
got to regard the well-being of the Civil Services for fear of the ex-civil
servants and their influence on the Government. I do not see that they even
regard the well-being of British commercial interests which I am always
enjoined to protect and safeguard in India.
1 repeat that I do not write in any hostility to the proposals which I am
unable to judge, but merely to contrast them with the admittedly different
conditions in India.
10th October 1020.
E. S. M.