The new Governor of the Sudan will not have a
job comparable to that of the new Governor-General of India, but it will be a formidable enough task, none the less, with the Sudan—or rather the conditions of Sudanese independence—a bone of contention between Britain and Egypt, and the Sudanese themselves divided on that question and others. The choice of Sir Robert Howe in such circumstances is a piece of sound judgement. Sir Robert has been handling Sudanese affairs—and indeed those of most of the Middle East, so that he is thoroughly familiar with the Arab world—in the Foreign Office for the past eighteen months, but he has had wide and varied experience " on mission " in many parts of the world, including particularly charge of the Legation at Addis Ababa from 1942 to 1945. That is a very valuable preparation for Khartoum. Since Sir Robert has been dealing with Egyptian affairs in White- hall the readiness of King Farouk to approve his appointment is significant. He has considerable opportunities, and the kind of personality that makes the most of opportunities.
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