Negotiation with Egypt
The political crisis which has blown up, and temporarily sub- sided, at Cairo appears to have been due partly to personal rivalries between the Prime Minister, Nokrashy Pasha, and the Wafdist Finance Minister, Makram Obeid Pasha ; partly to a misunder- standing of the functions of the United Nations ; and partly to a by no means unreasonable impatience at the leisureliness of White- hall in the matter of a reply to Egypt's request for a revision of the 1936 Treaty. The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badawi Pasha, who
is representing his country at the United Nations Assembly, is, of course, perfectly right in insisting that there is nothing what- ever in Anglo-Egyptian relations to justify reference to the United Nations, and Makram Pasha can never have read the Charter if he thinks otherwise. Badawi Pasha has had an opportunity of meet- ing British Ministers in London and discovering from their own lips, if he ever doubted. it, that Britain, recognising the changed conditions, is perfectly ready to discuss revisions of the treaty. That well might have been made clear sooner, for any appearance of hesitation on our part will vitiate the whole atmosphere of nego- tiation, and in discussions with Egypt atmosphere means a great deal. There is clearly room for revision of the military clauses of the treaty, and reluctance to meet Egypt half-way here will have the worst effect. The question of the Sudan is admittedly more difficult. The fundamental principle is that nothing must impede that territory's progress, now well begun, towards self-government. It is doubtful whether any other arrangement than a continuance of the present condominium is compatible with that.
