أوراق مكتوبة بالآلة الكاتبة وأوراق مطبوعة لمجلس الوزراء وأوراق برلمانية عن الأحداث في مصر [و‎‎١‎٣‎١] (٥٢٠/٢٦١)

/o
(THIS DCGUMl'NT IB THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S G:'VFRNMT-NT)
SEC RE T* /( 7 ^
C.r* 3G1G,
C A B I H E T.
THE EGYPTIAN QUESTION.
Memorandum by the. Socrotar^ p£_^cajte_for_Foreign_Aff < &lr£.
I fuel some dilllenity in advising the Cabinet on the subject
x
of Lord Allenby J a i'-ocont telegrams, for (1) my advice as to the form
of treaty to be offered to Adly Pacha and the reply to be sent to
the Sultan was not taken in November last and (2) the Cabinet pre
ferred to take a course which has been attended with the very con
sequences which I then unavailingly predicted. Lord Allenby correctly
informed the Cabinet on that occasion that he could command sufficient
military and naval strength to prevent a general rising and to get
rid of Zaghlul Pacha, should the latter present him with an opportunity.
But he was incorrect in assuring ua that he could find an
Egyptian Ministry willing to take office under the conditions laid
down in our official letter to the Sultan: and the forecasts which
I ventured to make as t o the breakdown of the administration, the
refusal of the Egyptians to co-operate with us, and the revival of a
general and in the long run dangerous form of discontent have been
amply realised. Further, although my colleagues assured me that our
decision would receive the unanimous support of all the more responsible
organs of the British Press •*- an assurance which I took leave to
mistrust — I have not found that, with the exception of the "Morning
Post" (non tali auxilio) any important journal has consistently backed
our policy, while several of the more influential organs that
ordinarily support the Government such as the "Daily Telegraph","Daily
Caroncle", "Observer", "Pall Mall Gazette", "Evening Standard" --
l act aside the Horthcliffe papers -- have openly doubted its wisdom.
There aid indeed occur a moment in December when Sarwat Pacha
appeared likely to form a Government on acceptable conditions, and
I lest no time in encouraging those proposals./
3014.
x C. P,