May 11.
Qcrre one of the most important pieces of news regarding Great Britain and her protectorates was that contained in the cable, printed in our issue of yesterday, reporting Mr. Cecil Harmsworth's statement defining the relationship existing between the Imperial Government and the Sultan of Egypt. For over 30 years, prior to 1914, Great Britain had militarily occupied Egypt, with rights, not founded solely or even primarily on vague and general doctrines of international law, but on the specific and fundamental fact that she resened the country from anarchy ana bankruptcy in 1882 and saved the reigning family from destrnetion or exile at the hands of a rebel army. On December 18, 1914, by a proclamation by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Egypt was declared a British protectorate: in view of the state of war arising out of the action of Turkey, Egypt was placed under the protection of his Majesty, and would henceforth constitute a British protectorate; the suzerainty of Turkey was terminated; his Majesty's Government would defend Egypt and protect its interests and inhabitants." The following day the Khedive, Abbas Hilmy IT, was deposed, and his uncle, Prince Hussein Kamel Pasha, took the throne under the style and title of Sultan of Egypt.
As the logical outcome of the preceding thirty odd years, the step thus taken was the only one possible, especially when Great Britain was at war with the Crown from which the Khedive derived his authority. The Egyptians themselves, however. were by no means satisfied and there appeared to be three bons of contention. It was never authoritatively stated what was the position of the Imperial Government with regard to internal affairs in Egypt, though it was clearly laid down that her foreign affairs would be dealt with by the British Government; the Egyptian critics of the measure turned to French precedents as exemplified in the establishment by France of a protectorate over Tunis—due to the fact that legal affairs in Egypt had been for generations mainly conducted on French lines, while French law
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.