May 4.
Sir Austen Chamberlain's statement on Egypt in the House of Commons, as reported in to-day's telegrams, is marked by the unequivocal firmness which has characterized the attitude of every action of the British Government towards Egypt since the War. The Egyptian Government, in reply to the British ultimatum regarding the obnoxious Assemblies Bill, was obviously attempting to save face. This, so far as it goes, Sir Austen Chamberlain accepts, but with a clear intimation that the British Govern: ment will not tolerate the revival of this Bill or any similar logistation. When we consider that, under the Assemblies Bill, an agitator promoting a riot) which might have caused deaths and destruction of property would be liable to only a week's imprisonment or a fine of a hundred piastres;_ whereas a policeman or other civil authority, interfering with any meeting which was likely to lead to a riot, would be liable to of hi month's imprisonment and a fine of anything up to three thousand piastres, it is not surprising that Great Britain found it necessary to act unflinchingly. For, under the Declaration of 1922, Britain is directly responsible for foreign interests and the welfare in Egypt.
We have yet to learn_precisely what prompted the Egyptian Parliament to this amazing Bill. But it can hardly be doubted that it was meant as a of strength in view of the recent breakdown of negotiations between Sir Austen Chamberlain and the Egyptian ex-Premier Sarwat Pasha, whi were directed to devi agreement that would satisfy Egyptian Nationalist feeling and at the same time secure the indispensable guarantee which Great Britain has to discharge, of the integrity of Egypt and the maintenance of her own Imperial interests. Four similar attempts had been made in earlier years since the War, by Lord Milner, by Lord Curzon, by Mr. Lloyd George, and by. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald. Of all these the only discussions which Ted to any practical result were those of Mr. Lloyd George aided by Lord Allenby, which - produced the Declaration of 1922.
By this Declaration the British Government declared the inde-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.