ملف من أوراق مطبوعة مصنفة تحت عنوان "التفاوض المصري" بين كرزون وعدلي باشا والوفد المصري [ظ‎‎٥‎٩] (١٧٨/١١٨)

8
Sidky Pasha maintained that the sole apprehension in the minds of foreign Powers
was the fear that the fiscal policy of Egypt might be .misdirected if left entirely in the
hands of Egyptians.
Mr. Lindsay pointed ont that there was something more than this at stake : there
was the question of solvency. He felt sure that Sidky Pasha would agree with him
that degeneration of financial administration was a process which could go on
imperceptibly, but at the same time very rapidly. The foreigners would say that so
long as British control was exercised over Egyptian finance a period of unparalleled
prosperity had obtained. What, they would ask, would happen were that control
withdrawn ?
Adly Pasha interjected that Mr. Lindsay had said previously that it was not so
much a question of establishing a control as of having someone who could utter a cry
of alarm in advance.
Mr. Lindsay agreed, and said that if a cry of alarm was to be uttered, the person
who uttered it must have knowledge, and consequently must have access to the
Ministers.
Adly Pasha said that they would be glad to have a real economic expert available.
Sikdy Pasha said that, in effect, the presence of the Financial Commissioner must
be justified in the eyes of the Egyptian public, in some form or another, if the Debt
Commission continued to exist.
Mr. Lindsay said that the fact of the matter was that it was necessary to have a
treaty, and consequently they had to put into words something which it would have
been quite easy to gloss over had the matter only to be dealt with verbally. That
finished the consideration of the reserves.
Adly Pasha said that there still remained the eighth reserve about Egypt’s
treaty-making powers. He understood that Lord Curzon was not altogether indisposed
to accept this.
Mr. Lindsay said that he believed this was the case. There remained a point
which he had mentioned to Adly Pasha on the previous day. His Majesty’s Government
were prepared to recognise that the new regime would reduce British influence in
Egypt, and consequently that there would be a diminution in the number of British
officials, but His Majesty’s Government were not prepared to agree that the places of
these officials should be taken by foreigners, as to whose selection the}" would not be
consulted. To get over this difficulty he would suggest that foreign non-British
officials should not be appointed without the concurrence of the High Commissioner.
Adly Pasha said that they agreed to the principle, and the actual form which it
might take should be considered.
Mr. Lindsay said that there was another matter. The Postmaster-General, whose
Department was concerned with British Imperial communications, had some stipulations
to make with regard to the landing rights for submarine cables in Egypt and other
kindred matters. Mr. Lindsay would send the delegation a formula embodying these
stipulations for their consideration (see Annex (B)).
There remained the question of the service of the loans secured on the Ottoman
tribute. His Majesty’s Government were going to ask the delegation to agree to Egypt
continuing to meet the service of these loans as at present.
Rushdi Pasha interjected that he presumed Mr. Lindsay meant that the service
should continue until the loans were paid off.
Mr. Lindsay agreed, but pointed out that for the smallest of the loans no sinking
fund was in operation.
Sidky Pasha said that there was no binding engagement on Egypt to meet that
loan at all, as Turkey had made an unilateral arrangement.
Mr. Lindsay said that in fact Egypt had accepted an order from Turkey to pay
the annuities of that loan into a bank in London, and had so paid it for a number
of years.
Adly Pasha said that it seemed to him that the question was whether Egypt had
engaged to pay the interest on the loans or to pay tribute. He thought that something