مجموعة ٥/١٥ "الجالية البريطانية في مصر: مشكلات إعادة البناء بعد الحرب" [و‎‎٣‎٢] (٦٨/٦٣)

especially feared that the habit may he revived after the
war of making the grant of residence or entry visas to
British subjects employed by a firm conditional on the
employment of a specified number of Egyptians, or moro
particularly of the Moslem Egyptians, regardless of thoir
efficiency or of the requirements and financial capacity
of the firm# It is recommended that the Legislative and
Administrative Authorities of the Egyptian Government
should be closely watched for any such move, and that all
possible stops should bo taken to combat it as has boon
done in the past. It is emphasised that the successful
exploitation of such a policy by the Egyptian Government
would frustrate all the other efforts which it is hoped
may bo made after the war to further British trade in
Egypt.
40. There is a strong feeling in the Community that
British trade in Egypt is closely bound up with the future
of the Suez Canal. It is recognised that this is likely
to form one of the major problems that will have to be
faced in the general post-war settlement at the Peace
Conference, and that it will have two aspects viz:(l) the
International control and the defence of the water*-way and
(2) tho rights of the Suez Canal Company and its
administration, together with tho commercial exploitation
of tho Canal after tho present concession has run out,The
former aspect it is not within the scope of this Report
to discuss. As regards tho latter aspect however it is
regarded as very important that a firm lino of policy
should be adopted, with a view to ensuring that British
shipping should be enabled to got through the Canal
expeditiously and at a reasonable cost - more quickly
and more cheaply, if possible, than before, Tho British
commercial community v/ould fool moro secure in this
respect if it wore possible to obtain a renewal of tho
concession to a British Corporation or to an Anglo-
Egyptian body with effective British control - though it
is not suggested that this objective would be easy to
achieve. In tho meantime they would also like to see tho
introduction of a substantial British element into tho
present Administration of tho Suez Canal Company, which
would bo commensurate with tho paramount interests of
HMG both as majority shareholders and as chief customers.
While recognising that tho Company, under tho direction
of tho Agent Suporiour in Egypt, has loft nothing to be
desired in its loyal service to the war effort, it is tho
opinion of British Shipping Circles in Egypt that considerable
improvement could in this way bo made both as regards tho
efficiency of the running of tho Service and in tho matter of
transit charges.
41, In preparing this Report and formulating theso various
recommendations and suggestions tho Committee havo
ondoavourod to confine themselves to propositions that appear
to them to be possible, having regard to tho limitations ..
of practical politics as appreciated by thorn. In casos whore
a remedy or a safeguard has appeared to them to bo available
to meet a difficulty or a danger which thoy foroaoo, thoy
havo boon ablo to mako concroto x^ 0 ? 030 -! 3 * Thoy havo not
hov/ovor boon deterred from calling attention to problems of
which/