Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎36v] (72/176)

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more than ever incumbent after this upon us to come forward with an offer which
would respond to Egyptian hopes. Unless this were done promptly, it was likely
that the minds of those who still looked for an amicable solution would react in favour
of the deportees.
24. As mentioned above, the deportation order was followed by some dis- *
turbance. Directly signs of trouble were observed in Cairo the military authorities
assumed control. On the 24th December the mob erected barricades in the streets,
and a shot was fired at a lorry of troops. The troops were compelled to fire, killing
three natives and wounding fourteen. An attempt was made to fire the railway j
workshops at Boulac. The schools generally went on strike and were closed by the
adviser. Government officials declared a three days’ strike. On the 27th December
the attendance of Government officials improved again, but there were further
Egyptian casualties among the mob, and political meetings were held at El Azhar
University. On the 28th December there was a fire in the waggon works at Boulac
and considerable damage was done, but the general situation began to improve. On
the 30th December Mr. E. A. Hatton, Assistant Divisional Superintendent of the
Egyptian State Railways Mechanical Department, was shot in the back and killed.
His assailant escaped. Between the 24th December and the 27th December fifteen
Egyptians in all were killed and twenty-four wounded.
25. At Alexandria demonstrations were held on the 22nd and 23rd December,
but were dispersed without casualities. Three hundred and eighty-nine arrests were
made, 233 of those arrested being boys. Numbers of seditious pamphlets were dis
tributed. On the 25th December H.M.S. “ Ceres ” and “ Senator ” arrived. By the
26th December the situation was quiet.
26. At Port Said persistent demonstrations occurred on the 25th December, and
the troops were compelled to fire on the crowd, which had refused to disperse after a
warning. One Egyptian was killed and three wounded. On the 26th December the
situation was still disturbed, but improved the following day.
27. Ismailia remained quiet under the protection .of H.M.S. “ Sparrowhawk,”
but at Suez the troops fired upon the demonstrators after due warning; one Egyptian
was killed and three wounded. There were no further incidents. H.M.S. “ Sikh ”
arrived there the following day.
28. Detachments of Egyptian troops were sent to the provincial capitals
throughout the country. There was some trouble in Lower Egypt. Demonstrations
were held at Tanta. Zagazig, Damanhour, Zifta and Fua. A British battalion was
at once sent to Tanta and there were no disorders. At Zagazig order was maintained
by the Egyptian Camel Corps, and at Damanhour, Zifta and Fua by Egyptian troops
or police. At Zifta there were three casualties. Cairo and the Delta were patrolled
by aeroplanes, and eight Nile steamers armed with machine guns and in charge of
British naval officers were sent to Upper Egypt on the 26th December. Some well-
known agitators, who had proceeded thither from Cairo, were arrested, including
Kamel Hussein, the lawyer of the Syndicalist movement in Egypt. There was some
slight disorder at Girga, but otherwise Upper Egypt was undisturbed, and the
fellaheen 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. remained quiet throughout.
12. The Ex-Khedive.
29. When Abbas Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Hilmi was deposed from the Khediviate a representa
tive of the Egyptian Government was appointed to take control of his estates. When
tliis control appeared no longer necessary, the estates, which were heavily mortgaged,
were sequestrated by the tribunals on the petition of the creditors. In 1918 the
Sultan represented that the continued ownership by the ex-Khedive of so large a
property was undesirable on political grounds, as it tended to keep alive in the
popular mind a feeling of uncertainty as to whether Abbas Hilmi had been definitely
excluded from Egypt, and he suggested that steps should be taken to liquidate it.
His Majesty’s Government were disposed to concur in this view, and a lengthy
correspondence ensued as to how this might best be done. As a first step towards a
settlement of the question, it was eventually decided that a proclamation should be *
issued by the Commander-in-chief of His Majesty's Forces to the effect that, Abbas
Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. being excluded from the country, and he and his descendants having been by
decision of His Majesty’s Government definitely excluded from all rights of
succession to the throne, his estates were ordered to be vested in the Public Custodian
of Enemy Property. This proclamation was issued on the 4th January. 1919. A
discussion as to the most appropriate manner of dealing with the property continued
throughout 1919. and it was finally resolved in the spring of 1920 to make an attempt