18 APRIL 1952, Page 2

Cairo to London

The failure to reach an agreement in Cairo on a basis for future Anglo-Egyptian negotiations is a matter for deep regret. It gives an opportunity for the Wafd to recover its confidence and for the forces of disorder to mature their plans. Perhaps the visit of Amr Pasha to London will result in the concoction of some formula which will save the day and enable the detailed discussions to be begun; but if An-u. Pasha's visit is unsuccessful the outlook is gloomy in the extreme. It is generally accepted that, while sufficient understanding already exists on defence matters to allow discussions to start, there is as yet no sign of agreement on the Sudan. No way, apparently, has been found of reconciling, even in the broadest terms, Egyptian claims to the unity of the Nile Valley and British pledges to the Sudanese. The dilemma, unfortunately, is largely one of our own making. As in Palestine, we are faced by two mutually contradictory pledges. We have fre- quently assured the Sudanese that they were to be the sole final arbiters of their destiny, and they have not unnaturally assumed this to mean that Egyptian sovereignty should never be forced on them. But, at the same time, we have in the Condominium Agreements recorded a perfectly clear recogni- tion of Egyptian sovereignty over the Sudan. It would be disastrous if we allowed these contradictory pledges to become the excuse for inaction and question-begging compromise, as we did in Palestine. We stand to lose, in the Nile Valley, as in Palestine, the sympathy of both peoples involved, and to find that our ultimate exit from the area is ignominious as well as absolute. It should not be impossible to devise a formula which reconciled the historical and necessary links between Egypt and the Sudan with the essential guarantees of self- government merited by the two communities. Unless some such formula is found, the Egyptian elections might as well be postponed for ever.