Egypt Untrammelled One of the few encouraging events in the
international field—perhaps the most encouraging—in the past six months was the smooth negotiation of the treaty between Great Britain and Egypt whereby Egypt gained full independence. That achievement has now had its necessary sequel in the agreement signed at Montreux on Saturday between Egypt and twelve other countries whereby provision is made for the gradual extinction of the capitulatory rights their nationals in Egypt enjoyed. The details of the agreement represent just that kind of reasonable compromise which reflects credit on all parties to its conclusion. National consular courts are to be abolished and the Mixed Court is to have jurisdiction in both criminal and civil cases involving foreigners and come to an end in twelve years, any vacancies on the bench in that period being filled by Egyptian judges, with the proviso that the proportion of foreign judges (one of whom shall be chairman) is not to fall below a third. All foreign right of veto on non-discriminatory taxation disappears. Both Egypt and the capitulation-States leave the Conference satisfied, and a particularly welcome feature of the Montreux Conference has been the close and cordial co-operation maintained throughout between the Egyptian delegation, under the Prime Minister Nahas Pasha, and the British, under Captain Euan Wallace, Secretary of the Department of Over- seas Trade. Egypt's admission to the League of Nations should follow before the month is out.
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