THE PROBLEM OF EGYPT
By J. A. SPENDER
DIE SPECTATOR was right when it said last week .1 that the question of Egypt was of. urgent im- portance. Since then the tension has been somewhat relieved by the announcement that negotiations for a Treaty are to be opened—or reopened—in Cairo about the middle of this month, but it is no less important to be clear in our minds about the form they are likely to take.
Let us begin by remembering that by our proclamation of. 1922 we have formally granted Egypt her inde- pendence and that what remains to be settled are the " reserved " questions which for present purposes are mainly the question of the Sudan and the presence and organisation of the British forces in Egypt. Without going further.back into history, this should banish all die- hard talk which represents Egypt as a part of the British Empire and denounces concessions to her as abdications or surrenders. But the reserved questions have proved exceedingly stubborn, and the three previous negotiations have been wrecked on one or other of them. It is ex- tremely important—I had almost said imperative—that there should not be another failure.
The Spectator is right in saying that the Italian-Abys- sinian crisis offered a new and much more promising approach to the military part of the problem, of which advantage should have been taken at the beginning of that affair. It is too late now to go back on the faults of omission and commission which let that opportunity slip and converted a friendly atmosphere into a suspicious and embittered one ; but we have to face the fact that urgency is now written all over the situation, and that we shall need all our wits and good sense to solve it in the time available. The Egyptian elections have been postponed from March till May, but even so the time is Short if the to lines are to be settled before then, as they ought to be. I would suggest that all the minor points should be taken as settled in 1930 between Mr. Henderson and the Egyptian delegation of that year, and the major problems be tackled at the outset. It is important in the present atmosphere that no suggestions should go out that we shall offer . less on the whole deal than Mr. Henderson offered in 1930, but the present situation brings with it new facts in connexion both with the Sudan and the military organisation in Egypt itself which must be considered afresh and dispassionately. To render Egypt secure from invasion from the west and to guard the Sudan and the sources of the Blue Nile from possible encroachments by another European Power are objects of vital im- portance to Egyptians and British alike, and they can only be secured- by friendly co-operation between us. The action of Italy has brought this home to the Egyptian :people as nothing else could, and should to that extent make a settlement easier than on previous occasions: • The- Sudan question .is largely a matter of national pride for the Egyptians. Few of them go there and all sensible Egyptians are aware that they would be in . a position of great peril if there were any question of our withdrawing from the Sudan. But they are extremely sensitive about proposals which seem to them to be a denial of their rights or the hauling down of their flag, and we may expect them to stand out for the right within certain limits, to immigrate into the Sudan, to serve as officials there, and to add a certain number of Egyptian troops to our troops. None of these ought to be wrecking points, and it is rather, I think, clumsiness in the handling than any substantial differences that have made them so in. the past. An unfriendly Egypt is A. constant irritant in the Sudan ; a friendly one is not, in my .opinion, likely to abuse any rights we may concede to her.
On the other hand, the Egyptians must realise that the responsibilities we undertake in the Sudan for them as well as for ourselves are heavy and serious, and that they cannot expect us to leave our position open to chal- lenge on legal grounds. They desire to become members of the League of Nations and we are very willing to support their application for membership. But it is -not in reason that we should be liable to be haled before the League or the International Court for a juristic argument about our respective claims and positions in the Sudan. That must be settled in a friendly way between us.
It is apparently decided that the negotiations arc to be opened in Cairo, and there are some advantages in that. But it is most desirable that Egyptian delegations should come to London for direct contact with the Government and with the responsible military authorities here. When they come, they should be treated with the utmost con- fidence and the problem handled as that of concerting measures between friendly partners for security against common dangers.
I do not believe there will be any difficulty in doing this for the present situation or so long as it lasts. But if we are thinking of the eventual settlement, we must take it that they arc very unlikely to yield on one point-- the practical occupation of their capital by British troops. From the time of tl.,e Milner Mission they have been led to hope that we will find another location for the troops which we must keep in Egypt, if we arc to fulfil our obligations. There is no vital reason why they should be actually in Cairo, and personally I have always sym- pathised with the view of the Egyptians that the presence of an army of occupation in their capital, with a constant and visible parade of superior power, destroyed much of the value of our acknowledgment of their independence.
Military objections on this and other grounds were fatal to Lord Curzon's very promising negotiations in 1922 and I hope they will not again be allowed to prevail over political wisdom. In all this matter the question we have to ask is whether even from the soldier's point of view a friendly Egypt is not of greater military advantage than a sullen, suspicious and semi-rebellious one.
I have touched only a few points, but they will probably prove to be the important ones. I have great hopes that Mr. Eden will approach them with a fresh and unprejudiced mind.
Previous page
