Coll 15/1 'Egypt Affairs: General Situation 1931; Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, 1936' [13r] (26/493)
The record is made up of 1 file (246 folios). It was created in 15 May 1931-10 Dec 1947. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
5
.?asha and can no longer avoid coming into
the open at official meetings with the
Egyptian delegation. ...” “It is quite
clear that the Egyptian delegation would
reject His Majesty’s Government’s pro
posals and demand complete evacuation.
There are no arguments which we can
en^oy in support of our proposals which
carry any weight with the Egyptian dele
gation in comparison with the fears which
press on them on every side.” The King
and Sidky
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
‘ ‘ know that they have
no chance whatever of representing our
proposals to their delegation and to their
people as compatible with Egyptian inde
pendence and sovereignty. Complete
evacuation of Cairo and Alexandria means
little to them as we are already committed
to that under the 1936 treaty, which they
consider we have so far shown no sign
whatever of fulfilling. The removal from
Egypt of combatant troops means little
because it simply involves the substitution
of a considerable number of British
administrative troops and some fighter
squadrons for the 10,000 men and 400
pilots permitted in the 1936 treaty. The
whole of our proposal appears to them to
be an elaborate attempt in a new guise to
perpetuate our hold on the country.” A
full exposition of the Egyptian viewpoint
as expressed at this stage is given in Sidky
Pasha’s note of 21st April, which is repro
duced as annex 2.
10. The alternatives facing His
Majesty’s Government at this juncture
were thus to go forward to formal negotia
tions on the basis of the proposals rejected
by Sidky and his military advisers, or to
offer the complete evacuation of all British
troops from Egypt and negotiate the best
possible peace-time defence arrangement
on that basis. As against (a) it was urged
by the delegation that we should either
have to give way in negotiation, or carry
through our proposals by force and face
an appeal to U.N.O. The result (apart
from what U.N.O. might do) would be loss
of Egyptian friendship and co-operation,
strained relations with the Arab countries,
and an unrivalled opportunity for Russia
to fish in the resultant troubled waters.
As against (b) it was admitted that the
strategic implications of complete evacua
tion were serious and that “ the assistance
we should be able to give to Egypt in peace
time would be limited to collaboration
between staffs and to the maintenance by
the Egyptians of administrative installa
tions with the assistance of British techni
cal personnel in mufti.” But, on the other
hand, it was argued that “ we should
retain Egyptian friendship and co-opera-1
tion in full measure.” The delegation’s!
conclusion was that the alternative of com
plete evacuation should be adopted and
that they should be empowered to make a
public announcement to that effect at the
opening of negotiations, adding that
negotiations would take place with the
Egyptian Delegation with the object of
arranging details of the withdrawal and
of making satisfactory arrangements for
mutual assistance in emergency in accord
ance with the spirit of the alliance, which
it was the settled policy of His Majesty’s
Government to consolidate as between
equal nations with interests in common.
11. The Cabinet accepted the delega
tion’s advice and Lord Stansgate was so
informed on 25th April with the reserva
tion that “it is physically impossible for
us to complete the total evacuation in less
than five years.” The Cabinet agreed that
it would be helpful if, at the appropriate
stage, a public announcement could be
made, with the concurrence of the
Egyptian Government, making it clear
that the latter accepted our estimate of the
minimum time necessary for withdrawal.
His Majesty’s Government also hoped that
it might be possible to secure arrangements
for something in the nature of an Anglo-
Egyptian Joint Defence Board to work out
arrangements for giving effect to the new
treaty.
12. Accordingly, on 30th April Lord
Stansgate handed to Sidky
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
a memo
randum dated 29th April containing the
proposals which the British Delegation
would table at the first joint meeting of the
two delegations. This document, after
recapitulating the policy of His Majesty’s
Government towards Egypt as already des
cribed, and the strategic aspect of the
relationship of the two countries, proposed
that under the new treaty the maintenance
in peace-time of the organisations, facili
ties, installations, &c., which were of such
importance to their security should become
the responsibility of the Egyptian Govern
ment, and that all British naval, land and
air forces should be completely withdrawn
from Egyptian territory. “In order that
Great Britain may assist Egypt in carry
ing out this responsibility, His Majesty’s
Government propose that arrangements for
close consultation between the two Govern
ments and their military staffs should be
worked out, and that such technical
assistance as may be necessary should be
provided by Great Britain to Egypt on a
basis to be mutually agreed.” The docu
ment went on to justify the estimate of
About this item
- Content
The file comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence and government printed papers. On the front of the file is written in red ink 'Secret Cupboard'.
The correspondence concerns the general situation in Egypt in the periods 1931-1937 and 1945-1947. Correspondence also discusses the issues relating to the negotiation and conclusion of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty 1936, including:
- negotiating points
- concessions
- capability of the Egyptian army
- location of British military facilities
- the significance of the Suez Canal as an 'artery of communication' for the British empire
The main correspondents include: the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs; the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia; the Minister of External Affairs, Union of South Africa; and HBM High Commissioner to Egypt and the Sudan (Sir Miles Lampson).
The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (246 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 246; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2762
- Title
- Coll 15/1 'Egypt Affairs: General Situation 1931; Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, 1936'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:32v, 36v:77v, 79v:94v, 95v:157r, 158v:245v, 246v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence