مجموعة ٣/١٥(١) "مصر. إلغاء الامتيازات في مؤتمر واتفاقية مونترو ١٩٣٧" [ظ‎‎٢‎٩‎٦] (١٢٢٠/٥٩٧)

15. For one thing, however, the other delegations may be thankful; the
French did not on this occasion bring the work of the conference to a stop by a
Ministerial crisis in Paris.
Italian Delegation.
16 . The policy of the Italian delegation was one of self-effacement combined
with great ability in allowing otheis, notably the United Ivingdom, the French
and the Greek delegations, to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for them. Thev
made no difficulty over the presence of a Spanish delegation holding full powers
from the Valencia Government. Judge Messina took a considerable part in the
technical work of the Drafting Committee. He was amusing and not obstructive.
Greek Delegation.
17. The Greek delegation worked hard to secure the interests of their
countrymen, notably in matters of fondations and statut personnel, and
on the whole they achieved more and at the cost of less unpopularity than their
French colleagues. M. Politis’s election as chairman of the General Committee
was a considerable tribute to the personal position which he has established for
himself at international conferences, since the important material interests of
his country in Egypt would normally have put the head of the Greek delegation
out of court for so responsible a position at a conference for the abolition of the
Capitulations in Egypt. As was to be expected, however, M. Politis generally
fulfilled his duties as chairman with skill and impartiality. He was, however,
naturally not always at home in the difficult questions which occupied the
Drafting Committee.
Other Foreign Delegations.
18. The United States Government had been informed in confidence of the
contents of Document A and had already promised Egypt and His Majesty s
Government their full support. Their delegation carried out this policy very
effectively ; in particular, their immediate and emphatic support of the Egyptian
claim that the transitional period should last twelve years was of great assistance.
In spite of Belgium’s considerable material interests in Egypt, the Belgian
delegation took up a line which was reasonable and moderate. They collaborated
with the United Kingdom delegation cordially and helpfully. The Portuguese
representative supported the United Kingdom well, in accordance with the
assurances volunteered to His Majesty’s Government by the Portuguese
Ambassador in London. The representative of Norway, M. Hansson, took a
more prominent part in the negotiations than the interests of his country in Egypt
would have warranted, as, in view of his opsition as late President of the Egyptian
Mixed Court of Appeal, he was appointed president of the committee which
discussed the new Reglement d'Organisation Judiciare of the Mixed Courts in
the transitional period. This work he did efficiently, but he displeased the
Egyptians by his obvious desire to obtain larger safeguards for foreign interes s
than those which the Egyptians could possibly concede. The attitude of other
foreign delegations does not call for special comment.
Irish Free State and South African Delegations.
19. The Irish Free State delegation took an independent line in their
speeches at the formal meetings at the beginning and end of the con ^ ren , c -
though they did not take any serious part in the actual negotiations, in h
speech at the opening session, the Free State delegate was the only one to expU
a wish for the immediate abolition of foreign privileges in Egypt, as oppose
abolition after a reasonable period; at the final plenary session for signature
announced (without previous warning to the United Kingdom delegation a
clearly on instructions from Dublin) that the Free State had ne
had consular courts in Egypt and did not therefore desire that J
should be any reservation of consular jurisdiction in matters of s
personnel '' for Irish Free State citizen's. The Irish Free Sta . te , U i°\ eeI i
ment were glad they should go before the Mixed Courts and that it had
provided that Irish law as their national law should be applied to them- l
His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom proposes to, ^
in favour of keeping a British consular court for “statut pemnnei ^
British nationals (i.e., British subjects and British-protected persons) and as
State citizens, being all British nationals (they are nearly all British subjects,