The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-05
KEEP HANDS OFF EGYPTIAN ROW, BRITAIN DEMANDS League Of Nations Re-
 ceives Stern Note
 From London
U. s. ACKNOWLEDGES
 PROTOCOL RECEIPT
Geneva Hoped For Com ment From Washing
 ton On Measure

GENEVA, Dec. 4-Flashing suddenly in to prominence again, the famed Geneva pro- tocol for the pacific settlement of international disputes was made the subject today of two governmental communications to the League of Nations-one from Great Britain concerning Egypt and the other from the United States.
 The note from Great Britain is re- garded in Geneva as a polite, but stern reminder to Egypt and the powers gen. orally that England wants the "hands off slogan to be applied to the Egyp- tian problem.
 The note from the United States was merely a courteous acknowledgement of Washington's receipt of codified copy of the protocol and of the fact that states non-members of the league may sign it. However, while the League of Nations officials are hoping to have later some detailed expression of Wash ington's views on the protocol itself, they seem content that the United States, in continuing her collaboration with the league, has promptly taken notice of the protocols arrival.
 Note Creates Interest
 Coming virtually on the eve of the session of the league council, which opens Monday in Rome, Great Britains note on Egypt has created extraerdl- nary interest. Like the United States, Egypt, as a non-member state, has, Qf- ficially received a copy of the protocol Briefly, England has told the league that if Egypt signs the protocol Egypt does not thereby, in the view of England, acquire any right to invoke league in' tervention on those matters which were expressly reserved by England when the British protectorate over Egypt was terminated. These are not enumerated in the British communication made pub lie today but they are known to include questions touching the Sudan, which were raised in England's ultimatum aft CT the assassination of the Sirdar.
 Speculation Raised
 With the receipt of the British note there is the greatest speculation n Geneva as to whether any power rep resented in the council will open the Egyptian question at the Rome session League advices quote Austen Chamber lain, secretary for foreign affairs, as announcing that he would not be averse to making clear at the Rome meeting Englands general position on the Egyp tian problem.
 This has been interpreted as lndicat' ing that while England resents league intervention she has no desire to con ceal her motives or justification rom the league as an institution which IS dedicated to the promotion of peace and mutual understanding between nations But the question is being asked-ln the face of England's note published today what power having a seat on the coun' cil would dare raise an Egyptian con- flict?
 Precedes Sirdar's Death
 If what league officials said today proves to be the fact, two remarkable coincidences have attended the Egyp' tian conflict in its relations to the league. The first was the error ot the Marseilles telegraph operator who ac' cidentally dropped out" that partlcu' lar sentence of the Egyptian chamber appeal to the league demanding inter, vention by the league. The second arises from the fact that the Brltisn note to Geneva was dated on the very day the Sirdar was murdered. Ottlciais here are of the opinion that the note was prepared before the assassination and though it bears vitally on the assas sination it was not formulated because of that crime.