File 3136/1914 Pt 4 ‘German War. Egyptian situation’ [‎98v] (201/744)

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of the Egyptians “f f l ^f c “^ rat f oi:is , the Nationalists would cordially
are »o‘^,£ 1 ^ They aihnitted that the measures for
suppoit the But! < - ino- the material condition of the Fellah Arabic for ‘peasant’. It was used by British officials to refer to agricultural workers or to members of a social class employed primarily in agricultural labour.
^"fstSr s^^ '“-t i» their opinion the educational policy of
naa neen biiiKiiif, . 1 u r iti s h guidance had been somewhat halt-
hearte^hnd 1 fleft an impression upon their minds that a real uplifting of
t people of Egypt in the scale of nations was not desired tor politics
reasons, which, they urged, should not be allowed to stand .11 the way of
national advancement.
so be
THE EGYPTIAN PRESS.
(18) The Kanoun-al-Matbuat or the Press Law of 1909 has produced a
10 riim effect on the Egyptian Vernacular Press. At one time there used
to he about BO Arabic papers, and nearly the same number in European
languages in circulation in the country. The number of the vernacular
iournals has considerably decreased recently. A ^ i
The activities of the Arabic Press in Egypt were inspired and developed
bv the different political parties, which under martial lav aie at piesent
quiescent. The most important of these organizations are :
(1. ) The Nationalist Party to which we have already referred.
(2.) The Hisb-al-Umma or the People's Party ; and
( 3 .) The Islah or the Reform Party.
The organ of the Nationalist Party, started in 1898 was the
most important political paper of its time It was suppressed in l Its
policy was inspired bv Mustafa Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Kamel. I he hhaab replaced the
L,™ and subsequently Al-Alam. The latter was also suppressed 111
November 1014. c u +
The or mm of the Hisb-al-Umma—a party composed ol men of substance,
the moderation of whose views was intended to serve as a counterpoise to
nationalist activities—is Al Gar,da. The paper lias dwindled in importance
since the resignation of its editor, Luth-al-Sayed, an honest journalist whose
idealism was somewhat out of tune with the realities of the situation in
° The Reform Party, which identified itself with the policy ol the ex-
Khedive, ventilated its views through the columns of Al-Moayyad. Hie
paper was at one time ably edited, and often adopted an independent
attitude, ft has ceased to be of much importance now.
Of the independent papers the AUAhrcun, started in KSio, is the oldest
and the best. It is an exponent of moderate and reasonable views, and its
policy is pro-British. T . 1 . ,
Al-Mokattam is another important paper. It is under the management
of Syrian Christians whose policy is strongly anti-Turkish. The paper is
looked upon as a semi-official organ of the British Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , and the Moslem
Egyptians, we are informed, view it with distrust and suspicion In this
connection we may incidentally mention that the attitude of the British
authorities towards the Syrians is being watched with some apprehension
by the Egyptian Moslems.
The Copts have two organs, the Misr and AJ-\\ atari, which vatcn o^
and advocate their interests.
Among the European papers the most important seem to be the hyiyylian
Gazette, Le Phare dAlexandric, Le Journal du Gaire, VEgypte-hgyptian
Morning News and La Bourse Egyptienne. All these are exponents ot
European views. i • i
It appears to us from what we have heard that under the combined
operation of the Press Act and martial law, the Arabic Press has to a large
extent ceased to reflect the trend of Egyptian feeling in all its aspects, ihe
suppression of some of the virulent papers was, however, a necessary
measure at the present juncture.