Reports and papers of the Egyptian Administration Committee [‎31r] (61/108)

or Home Departments. Ho diet not agreed with the criticism
of the Colonial Office. On the contrary, he had found
senior officials glad of the resulting sympathy and inside
knowledge with which their projects were handled.
LORD HI LITER asked whether, in this Egyptian or Mesopotamian
department, it would bo necessary that the Head should bo
an e:cpert, or would it suffice if only his subordinates
v/ere.
SIB HEHBY MCMdHOil replied that it would bo better that he should
be but that he feared this would not be very often possible.
It was desirable but not essential.
THE CHAIRMAN remarked that a strong Office in London would have
an opinion of its own which it would be in a position to
enforce. He gathered,on the ether hand, that it was
precisely assistance and not control that was especially
required.
LORD MILNER thought that in view of the groat changes, probably
some increase of control might'be necessary and
SIR HENRY MCMAHON stated that though deprecating additional
control, after being High Commissioner himself, he would,
speaking as an Ex-High Commissionor welcome cx>ert knowledge.
LORD CURZON remarked that there was a tendency among expert
officials to mistake assistance for control. He asked the
witness which departments of the Egyptian Government would
be most usefully represented in London.
SIR HENRY MCMAHON replied that that depended more upon the
individual than upon the Ministry from which, he came, but
that on the whole he thought that officials from the Finance
or Interior would be most suitable. The law was too high
ly specialised and legal questions could be dealt with by
the Foreign Office Legal Advisers.
In reply to Lord Milner -
SIR HENRY MCMAHON explained that Finance in Egypt had a very
special position, considerably stronger than that of the
Finance Department in India.
The Ministry was executive, and controlled Coastguards,
Customs and the Post; moreover, the Financial Adviser was
the only- adviser that had a seat on the Council of Ministers.
He was, therefore, in a position to know more than any one
else what was going on in the country. His time was fre
quently taken up by irrigation, land, and railway affairs.
The re-assossmont,of well as the collection, of taxes was
also carried out by the Finance.
THE CHAIRMAN remarked that these were far greater powers than
wore enjoyed by other Finance Departments and asked whether
this was approved by the other Ministries.
SIR HENRY MCMAHON was of opinion that the position, if not abused,
was not moro unpopular than that of the finance authorities
in other Governments.