Reports and papers of the Egyptian Administration Committee [‎34r] (67/108)

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LovA Sdward Cecil stated that in his opinic
questions of Egyptian Adicini strati on could
not he adequately dealt with, save hy a
special department which should take the
form of a near Eastern Government Department,
if possible enjoying the status of a
Ministry, hut in any case not coming under
the Foreign Office, though it might for the
present, failing other arrangements, remain
nominally under the Foreign Office, and he
directed hy an Official of the rank of
Assistant Under Secretary, referring
directly and solely to the Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs. In a subsequent
letter to Lord Curzon he modified this
opinion to the extent of agreeing that
"Foreign Office or Diplomatic men would
he the best to deal with Diplomatic
questions. '^Though admitting that the
amount of work from Egypt now passing
through the Foreign Office might at present
be insufficient to justify such a depart
ment he maintained that that much additional
husinoss was being done through unofficial
channels, while some was left wholly
undone. Ho considered that if the
machinery were more suitable, much of
this business could be handlexl by regular
departmental officials to the great
advantage of all concerned, and cited
as a suitable scope for the activities of
such officials questions of the restrict
ions on shipping, the Banks, Oil, Cotton,
new constitutional changes, legislation,
education and fiscal questions/