The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-26
ECYPT'S STRIKE DUE
TO ALLIES SILENCE
Protest Against Being 10.
nored by Peace Congress.
Special Wt~slsss DespotoA to TEE suN.
Copyright, 1919; all rieAss reserved.

Coptr0ht. WE, al rGhh Teserucd.
PARIS, March 25.-Ths present trou-
bles In Egypt grew out Of the refusal Of
the leaders Of the Allies. including Prex-
| the Egyptian people to be represented or
! to present their claims to independence
to the Peace Conference.
A committee Of prominent Egyptians,
including several members Of the Legis-
| lative Assembly. who were selected to
represent Egypt In Paria sent kilograms
to President Wilson requesting permits
sion to present their case. but they never
received any response directly Bgyp-
tians here understand that President
Wilson's position Is that the question Of
Egypt is like that OF Ireland. that It is
to be settled between Great Britain and
Egypt without Intervention by the
United States or by tho Peace Confer
ence.
The British arrested several members
or the Egyptian peace delegation. OF
whom four. including their president.
are imprisoned In Malta. This Ia given
! as the reason for the outbreak In Egypt.
which is said to be a general strike ex-
, tending by peaceable means throughout
the greatest part Of Egypt and embrace
Ing all classes Of society. 1t started
with the native Egyptian Government.
which resigned. including Egyptian
Iudgas- and court officials. Government
employees. railroad men, teleGraphers,
even the school teachera professors and
students.
According to the Egyptians. the strik-
ers are not armed. az the British ran
sacked Egypt for weapons and confis-
GATED everything. even heavy walking
sticks, during the war. They also passed
measure forbidding public meetings Of
moro than Ave persons
Tho goal which the Egyptians have
set for themselves is complete independ-
ence with tho removal Of the British pro-
tectorate, which was established for tho
maintenance OF order and the defence
OF the Suez Canal soon after the war be-
gan. Petitions indorsing this claim have
been circulated widely throughout Egypt
and have been signed literally by mill
ions after receiving the Endorsement Of
all local assemblies and various public
bodies.
The Egyptians believe that even II the
Peace Conference will not recognize
their Independence II should take up the
question of the validity Of the British
protectorate. because the conference IL
to settle questions arising from the war,
and the British declared their protecto-
rate after the war had commenced and
as war measure.
How far the Egyptian strikers will go
cannot be predicted, but II Is stated that
without arms and with Gen. Allenby In
full control II Is unlikely that the people
can push their movement TO extremes,
even IL they desired to do so.
LONDON. March 25.-The recent mani
festations in Egypt were predatory
rather than political and the latest news
from Egypt gives cause for less anxiety,
Earl Curzon, Lord President Of the
Council. said In a speech in the House
OF Lords last night A gratifying fea-
ture of the troubles, he added, had been
the behavior OF the Egyptian officials,
the army and the police.
Earl Cur1on said that tho Government
had never opposed tho desire Of the
Egyptian Ministers, Rushdi Pasha and
ABLY Pasha. to come to England to dis
cIss with the British Government the
future Government of Egypt with re-
gard TO Said Zagloui Pasha and the
other Egyptian Nationalists who had or
Eanised the present movement. the Gov
eminent spokesman said there was no
common ground for discussion. Tho
presence OF these mon In England would
be interpreted as evidence that Great
Britain was willing to consider the COM
plete abandonment Of It's responsibili-
ties.