PZ 5636/35 'Egypt: Annual Reports 1934 -1938' [‎134r] (274/342)

Sdd •^n'd/h^MT ^ 1“ t °T h with N ? ssim ’ 110 other candidate
alternatiTO^ receded' into^fe^ounl^’ Wh ° ^ ^ tlm6 had Seemed a P° Ssible
1930^i3^r Pa f a as Prime ? lin . ister and the disappearance of the
Kino- SI nlFvf K m prospect, the situation likely to present itself after
is. ng ijuad s death became no longer one of embarrassment and alarm.
36. The new Prime Minister took some time to form his Cabinet, for in the
course of conversation at the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. he explained that he preferred to include
only persons of no political attachments or history; and such are rare in Egypt.
lad been expected, and in many quarters hoped, that he would select the most
able politicians available to him (the Wafd refusing to enter any coalition); but
ms anxiety to avoid invidious criticism from any quarter virtually limited his
choice to the higher ranks of officialdom. He was at one moment prepared to
include Hassan Sabry Bey, who had been in an almost constant minority of one
m Abdel Fattah Yehia s Cabinet, the Wafd, however, vetoed this appointment,
as also that of Mahmoud Hassan Bey for the Ministry of Interior. When Nessim
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. left for Alexandria on the 14th November to submit his Cabinet to the
King, he had no reserves for his team, and King Fuad’s rejection of his candidates
for the Ministry of Inferior and Foreign Affairs reduced him to a Cabinet of
eight, with three Ministers duplicating portfolios.
37. The Cabinet, as finally constituted on the 15th November, was as
follows :—
Mohammed Tewfik Nessim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. : Prime Minister and Minister of
Interior.
Amin Anis Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. : Minister of Justice.
Ahmed Abdul W ahab Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. : Minister of Finance.
Neguib-el-Hilaly Bey : Minister of Education.
Abdel Meguid Omar Bey: Minister of Public Works and
Communications.
Kamel Ibrahim Bey : Minister for Foreign Affairs and Agriculture.
Tewfik Abdulla Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. -: Minister of War.
Abdel Aziz Mohammed Bey : Minister of Waqfs.
38. All Nessim’s Ministers are or were permanent officials, and, although
they have a reputation for honesty among Egyptians, Abdul Wahab Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. is the
only one of any known personality. None of the Ministers are politicians. Abdul
Wahab, however, is generally supposed to be very friendly to the Wafd. Kamel
Ibrahim has Wafdist sympathies and was one of the judges who acquitted Maher
and Nokrashi in May 1926.
39. The general opinion was that Tewfik Nessim had made a great mistake
in not forming a political Ministry. An administrative Cabinet of this type
could only convey the impression that Nessim was a bridge to Wafdist government
on the analogy of the Adly Government of October-December 1929. Moreover,
the fact thathe had submitted to dictation by the Wafd in the formation of his
Government naturally accentuated this impression. Had Isessim invited leading
members of the different political parties to join him in his task of reconstruction,
the probability is that the Wafd would have refused. Nessim could then have
formed a political Government from members of all other parties and from
Independents. Such a political Ministry would have shown clearly to the country
that there was no intention of truckling to the Wafd. As it is, it soon became
evident all over Egypt that the general impression was that we had brought
Nessim into power to bring back the Wafd. Needless to say, this impression was
carefully fostered by the Wafd, who, according tp reports, are now being able to
replenish their coffers to a certain extent by extracting money from candidates
for official posts or seats in the future Parliament.
40. Had the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. been able to intervene and urge Nessnn to appoint
a Dolitical Cabinet of a type able to stand up against both the Wafd and the
Palace it is probable that we should have been able to induce Nessnn to form such
r, r a binet However, in view of the previous instruction of His Majesty s Govei
f Ap pff ec t that the Acting High Commissioner should not associate himself
with the^chcdce^of^bdel Fattah ylhia’s successor to an extent involving any