تقرير البعثة الخاصة إلى مصر بقيادة اللورد ميلنر، وأوراق ذات صلة [و‎‎١‎٤‎٥] (٤٧٣/٢٩٢)

I.
Work of the Mission in Egypt.
THE despatch of a Special Mission to Egypt had been under the consideration
of His Majesty’s Government since April 1019, when the prevailing unrest in that
country had culminated in manifestations of violence and disorder; and in May the
announcement was made that such a Mission, under the chairmanship of Lord Milner,
would proceed thither in the autumn. The openly-avowed intention of the Egyptian
Nationalists to organise a boycott of the Mission received great encouragement from
the protest of Mohammed Said Pasha, the Prime Minister, against its arrival before
the peace with Turkey had been signed, and was intensihed after his resignation,
which followed the overruling of his protest. Mohammed Said Pasha was succeeded
as Prime Minister by Wahba Pasha, and the new Ministry was in office during the
whole of our stay in Egypt.
Wahba Pasha himself has since resigned, owing to ill-health, and
his place has been taken by Tewfik Nessim Pasha, one of his colleagues,
who, during our stay in Egypt, was Minister of the Interior. The
courage and patriotism of these two Prime Ministers and of their colleagues
in taking office at a time when their country was passing through so grave
a crisis, and when their own lives were daily in danger, cannot be too highly
commended. Tewfik Nessim Pasha’s Ministry, which is still in office, consists, with
one exception, of the same men as Wahba Pasha's and is of the same character. It
is a Ministry of affairs, composed of capable administrators, loyal to the Sultan and
working harmoniously with the British High Commissioner, but of no distinct
political coloui and indisposed to take any decided line with regard to the burning
question of the future of Egypt.
The change of Ministry in Egypt, and other circumstances, caused the departure
of the Mission to be delayed until the end of November. We arrived at Port Said on
the morning of Sunday, the 7th December, and in Cairo on the afternoon of the same
day. In view of the general attitude of hostility to the Mission, which had been
sedulously fostered, every precaution was taken for our security, and we reached the
hotel where quarters had been prepared for our reception without incident. The
day after our arrival we were all presented by Lord Allenby to His Highness the
Sultan, a formal visit, which had been preceded by a short audience of a more
intimate kind which he had accorded to Lord Milner. This was the first of a number
of conversations which, during our stay in Egypt, our Chairman and other members
of the Mission had with His Highness, who always treated us with great friendliness.
In these conversations he expressed himself freely about the political situation in
Egypt, the events of the last few years, and the difficulties of his own position. But
he carefully abstained from giving any advice with regard to the subject of our
reference, viz., the future constitution of Egypt. Beyond warning us to be slow in
forming conclusions and on our guard against busybodies, and indicating certain
men of position whom it would be well for us to consult—such as Rushdi Pasha,
Adli Pasha, Mohammed Said Pasha and Mazlum Pasha, all of them ex-Ministers—
he never attempted in any way to guide or influence our deliberations. His attitude,
as far as the main object of the Mission was concerned, was one of studied reserve.
This reserve was even more marked in the case of the Ministers, Wahba Pasha
and his colleagues, to whom we were introduced at a party given by Lord Allenby at
the Residency on the 11th December, and with whom throughout our stay in Egypt
we maintained very cordial relations. They were at all times ready to assist us in
our enquiries, to put every sort of information at our disposal, and to bring us into
touch with any officials whom we desired to see. There was never any doubt of their
willingness to give us every opportunity of becoming acquainted with the mechanism
of government or the state of the country. But they were particularly careful to leave
us to form our own conclusions. Though freely invited to do so, they were not
disposed to make any suggestions of their own on constitutional, as distinct from
purely administrative questions, and never evinced any desire to know in what
direction the thoughts of the Mission were tending with regard to the future govern
ment of Egypt.
In strong contrast with the caution and reserve exhibited by the native official
world was the storm of protest and disapprobation with which the arrival of the
Mission was greeted by the native public and the native press. We had not been
many days, or even hours, in Cairo before we had ample evidence of active and
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