Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎75r] (149/176)

[This Docmnent is the Property of His Britannic Majesty s Government.]
CONFIDENTIAL.
MEMORANDUM ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN
EGYPT.
Part I.—Resume of Events up to the Declaration of February 28,
1922.
Introductory.
IT is now four years since the unexpected and violent outbreak of nationalism,
which in varying degrees of intensity has remained a chronic symptom of the
Egyptian political situation. The declaration of the protectorate and its apparent
acceptance by Egyptians during the war were supposed to have sanctioned definitely
the juridical and political position of Great Britain in Egypt and provided an agreed
basis for the development of the latter country in relation with Great Britain. No
one could have foreseen at the end of 1918 that the continued activity of Nationalist
agitation would three years later have obliged His Majesty's Government to with
draw the protectorate in an attempt to pave the way to some more lasting settlement.
The cause of this seems to have been that Nationalist demands before the war were
for self-government, and were not so much directed against the de jure Turkish or
de facto British suzerainty. After the war, however, tne demand was for “ complete
independence, internal and external,” a development which was almost inevitable
once the principle of the League of Nations and the free association of independent
nations had been adopted.
2. Looking back on the way in which the very dangerous situation during the
early part of 1919 was handled, and on the measures adopted to meet the many more
or less acute crises which have subsequently arisen, events stand out in truer per
spective than was the case af the time of their occurrence. A brief recapitulation of
the episodes which can now be seen to have had the most important consequences may
therefore be of assistance in forming a correct appreciation of the position to-day.
and of the policy which should be followed in the future.
3. In the following retrospect no attempt has been made to examine the causes
which inspired the Nationalist movement, as this task was undertaken by Lord
Milner’s Mission, and is fully dealt with in their report, and, in order to condense
the narrative as much as possible, mention is only made of those events w r hieh gave
rise to ulterior consequences of some importance.
4. One fundamental difficulty of the situation must always be borne in mind.
However great the influence of the British representative was. the Government of
Egypt could only be carried on through Egyptian Ministers appointed by the ruler
of the country. * The object of the Nationalists during the period under review has
been to create a condition of things in which no capable man could be found to under
take the responsibility of government. When, therefore, it was impossible for the
time being to form a Ministry in 1919, and again in 1921, the only way out of the
difficulty lay in recourse to the powers under martial law of the British Commander-
in-chief, who by military proclamation empowered Lender-Secretaries to fulfil
Ministerial functions. Such an arrangement w r as, however, essentially a makeshift,
which could onlv hope to bridge the period intervening between the fall of one
normally constituted Government and the early assumption of office by another.
5. In the course of the narrative it has been necessary to refer to the succession
of Egyptian statesmen—Rushdi, Mohamed Said, Wahba, Nessim, Adly and Sarwat
Pashas—who have held the office of Prime Minister, but it is important to remember
that, w r ith the possible exception of Adly, none of these is a leader of a party in the
sense understood in Europe. They are all members of the limited class of Egyptians,
mostly of Turkish extraction, who have in the past provided men w r ith sufficient
education and administrative experience to enable them to conduct the business of
government when unhampered by parliamentary control. In these circumstances a
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