IN FERMENT
SIR,—Mr. Desmond Stewart speaks of 'the arraign- ment of French spies in Egypt' as if spies had in fact been caught and their misdeeds were certain. He goes on to imply that the arrested men resembled those arrested in France in connection with an at- tempt on the life of President de Gaulle. In fact three French diplomats and a distinguished French Arabic scholar occupying a post similar to that of a British Council representative have been arrested although their missions were specifically covered by the same jurisdictional immunity as is enjoyed by all dip- lomatic representatives. They have been exhibited to Egyptian reporters and on television without being allowed contact with counsel or with the Swiss Em- bassy, which is, charged with French interests in Egypt. M. Miguel, the head of the cultural mission, only arrived last September. His first act was to bring out his wife and two small children. M. Mattel, the head of the French property mission, had done like- wise a little earlier. Was this the action of men on a dangerous mission? M. Miguel is one of the best of the young French Arabic scholars—scarcely the man to be wasted on an espionage mission by a country that has always set the very highest score on its cultural relations. His place in the political spectrum is known to be with those who are seeking to restore friendly relations between France and the Arab world.
Apart from the personal situation of defenceless men, who for that reason alone should be free from attack, there is an even more serious consideration. What hope cap there be of consolidating peace, if the diplomatic immunities which are essential to dip- lomatic relations are disregarded? If Egypt had reason to suspect the activities of these four men. she could have declared them persona non grata and de- manded their withdrawal. Instead she arrested them. This abominable precedent surely concerns us all.
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