There was another Egyptian debate on Thursday in the House
of Commons, Sir G. Campbell wanting to know why the British Government supported an Administration at Cairo which ruled in the interest, not of Egyptians, who are perishing of hunger, but of foreign bondholders. He wanted Govern- ment to abstain from any new action. The Chancellor of the Exchequer in reply admitted the extreme distress in Egypt, bat argued that it arose from long misgovernment, and re- peated that the case was peculiar; that other Powers were interested, and that the hands of Government must be left free. He would not even say that a guarantee of Egyptian debts was out of the question. It was only out of the question for the present, and under existing circumstances. The truth seems to be, as we have pointed out elsewhere, that the Government does not like its position in Egypt at all, but that it feels compelled to keep step with the Government of France, a policy which will land it in some disaster. In France, " Jecker bonds" have too much influence. Note Sir J. Goldsmid's emphatic denunciation of the Govern- ment for assisting usurers.
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